Kollam: A central team under additional home secretary Bipin Bihari Mallick visited the cyclone-hit areas of coastal and eastern Kollam on Thursday. The team also included fisheries-animal husbandry department assistant commissioner Dr. Sanjay Pandae and home department technical officer Omprakash.
The team visited the coastal areas starting from Kulathumpadam area near St. Joseph church that was worst affected by sea erosion. The team also heard complaints from the local residents and moved to Moothakkara in coastal Kollam. The team was assisted by M. Naushad MLA, Kollam mayor V. Rajendrababu and district collector Dr. S. Karthikeyan. The team later attended a briefing session by the collector who presented a loss estimate of Rs 81 crore. These included agriculture loss of Rs 10.5 crore in eastern Kollam and rehabilitation plantations limited loss of Rs13 crore due to uprooting of rubber trees.
In the fisheries sector, free ration had been supplied for Rs 1.45 crore while 14,699 fishermen families were given Rs. 2000 each as an immediate relief. The housing sector suffered a loss of Rs 13.75 crore and minor irrigation department Rs 8.75 crore in sea erosion. The Kerala Water Authority needs Rs 4 crore for restoration of pipelines.The team later visited Chembanaruvi in eastern Kollam where severe agricultural losses were incurred.
