Thiruvananthapuram: The youngsters of Valiyathura - the fisherman hamlet in the state capital, which is under the constant threat of sea erosion - have come together with a helping hand for hundreds of families who are residing at relief camps. Hundreds of youngsters have come together to provide food and other assistance to the affected families.
There are around 2,500 families at Valiyathura. The apathy of the government authorities has prompted the youngsters to come together and do their bit to save the houses. According to locals, around 5 layers of houses have been taken away by the sea in the past few years and the authorities did nothing to safeguard the coastline.
Manuel Basil, one of the organiser of the Save Valiyathura initiative, said that nothing is going in favour for hundreds of families. "We met the fisheries minister, collector and irrigation authorities and it was just before elections. They expressed their helplessness and promised to act once the election is over. We had to take out a march and dharna to bring their attention," said Manuel Basil. He said that as a temporary relief, the government promised 10 loads of clay to protect the houses.
"Apart from promises we are not getting much. Now we had to take up the responsibility to save our houses which are under threat. We, youngsters, are unloading the clay and depositing it to save the houses. We are not getting any manual help from the government," said Manuel. Save Valiyathura Facebook group and Whatsapp group have hundreds of members.
"4 to 5 families are cramped in a single classroom at the relief camp. The situation is pathetic and if more houses are destroyed the situation would turn worst," he added.
Jojin Joseph, a youngster who is part of the initiative, said that the government is yet to take any step to provide financial aid to fisherman who are unable to go fishing because of the harsh weather. "Monsoon is fast approaching and things would become worse for us. There are people living in the camps for years and more families would become homeless soon. Proper rehabilitation should be given," said Mr Jojin Joseph.
