Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the actual loss suffered by the state in the floods will be much higher than the initial assessments.
A meeting he convened with district collectors and top officials also decided to ensure supply of essential household materials to all families returning to houses and disburse the initial assistance of Rs 10,000 to each family at the earliest.
It was also decided that the chief secretary will convene a meeting with insurance companies to expedite claims of flood victims.
“The state is receiving overwhelming support from various parts of the country as well as abroad. Even Supreme Court judges are taking part in fundraising programmes. These are giving morale boost the state. The Centre has also been extending generous support to the state to overcome the crisis,” he told reporters here on Tuesday.
There are 1.97 lakh people, or 53,703 families, still in various relief camps while 3.37 lakh families comprising 12.53 lakh persons have returned home.
The district collectors were allowed to make local arrangements to procure essential household items like cooking vessels for distribution as per requirement.
As relief camps in schools have to be closed as schools are reopening after Onam holidays on Wednesday the district administration should ensure lodging facility to families that lost the entire house in the calamity. Vacant houses and halls could be used for the purpose.
He also directed the collectors to take stringent action against throwing garbage into water bodies as well as to ensure waste management facilities.
All carcass should be burnt soon, and steps to prevent the outbreak of diseases initiated.
While hailing sincere efforts of district collectors in facing the crisis, he directed them to ensure supply of essential commodities in places where shops remained shut following floods and to check black marketing.
District administrations should also coordinate offers of voluntary organisations and individuals to construct houses.
He said the government was seriously examining whether rehabilitation should be initiated in natural calamity prone areas.
While hailing the active participation of police in rescue and relief operations, he said that there was a need for imparting training to police in facing such disaster and regional training centres would be set up for the purpose.
He also hailed the active participation of youngsters in the rescue and relief operations.
