Coastal wards of district still bearing brunt of heavy rains

Thiruvananthapuram: While the rain has abated, the city corporation is grappling with various challenges in coastal wards with regard to safety of residents who have to be evacuated.
Over 50 families in three wards - Vizhinjam, Harbour and Kottapuram are unable to return to their homes mainly due to issues pertaining to structural stability, overflowing septic tanks and erosion of soil around the wells.
The spike in rental rates in these areas has emerged as another concern with many families finding the rates barely affordable.
“Earlier, fishermen families were able to pool some money on a monthly basis to move to rented houses. Now the minimum rent is from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. The additional expenses of electricity bills and household expenditure make it difficult for the families to sustain in rented houses. Constant weather warnings have deprived them of their means of livelihood as well,” said Paniyadima, ward councillor of Kottapuram.
The city corporation has sought the services of experts from the department of Geology to assess the structural stability of houses.
Around seven houses in Kottapuram area are perched precariously on the slope and one of the houses had partially caved in forcing immediate evacuation of a 12 member family.
“We are dealing with multiple challenges here. Either, the houses are uninhabitable due to the nature of terrain and cracks or the drinking water sources have become contaminated due to overflowing of septic tanks.
Loose soil around the well has washed off in many areas and they cannot use well water. Due to nil income, people cannot afford to move to rented homes also,” said Mayor Arya Rajendran.
As regarding the issue of septage collection, the corporation plans to make use of its septage tankers to schedule weekly collection in these areas.
The people have complained that despite their meagre income, they are forced to depend on private tankers at high rates to collect septage so that toilets can be used. Mayor said that this can be solved by deploying collection tankers free of cost.
There are, however, far more serious issues especially with regard to structural stability. “People cannot live in relief camps for long. They try to move out seeking some rented houses, however, the huge rates being asked as rent worries them,” said Paniyadima.
The corporation is mulling ways to provide rented accommodation at civic body’s cost, but this will require council’s approval and has to be sanctioned by the state government.
The duration for which the corporation can arrange rented houses for these families is another concern. “One key factor is that the issue is not confined to these wards alone.
There are many families who would prefer rented houses to camps and if the corporation is to take up the expense for that, it would require the state government’s approval. We will go to the next level by first bringing it to the council,” said Arya Rajendran.