Cyclone Ockhi: Central team calls for task forces on coasts
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will seek the help of other coastal states in locating lost fishers and details of boats that reached their shores following the devastating Cyclone Ockhi. The government will also request them to search for the remains of fishing boats. Meanwhile, the central team, led by additional secretary (home) Bipin B. Mallick, which reached here to review damages asked the state government to form a task force of young officers in coastal regions to avert such disasters.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the team that government had already taken steps to provide modern fishing boats and houses of 600 square feet. Earlier, the state had demanded a relief package of Rs. 7,340 crore for relief, rebuild, rehabilitation, and an early warning system. The team would visit affected coastal areas until December 29 in two groups - one In Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam and the other Ernakulam. The team would further split with one visiting Thrissur.
They visited Poonthura and Vizhinjam on Tuesday. After, meeting the chief minister, they went to Thenmala and Kulathupuzha. Central Fisheries Assistant Commissioner Dr Sanjay Pandey was also with Mr Mallick during the meeting. They would return here on Wednesday to visit the remaining villages. On Thursday, they would revisit Kollam before returning to meet officials here to finalise their report. They had also met the delegation of the Congress party led by V. S. Sivakumar MLA, who had accompanied them to Poonthura, Latin Catholic Church representatives and organisations of fish workers.
While the state government assessment is that there are 208 more men, including people from other states, still missing while the church put it at 315. The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise of a relief and rehabilitation package during his visit of last week. The chief minister thanked Mr Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh for all their support. Mr Vijayan who expressed his gratitude to Mr Modi for visiting the cyclone hit areas personally in his letter said the Centre had provided great support in rescuing those who went missing. Prime Minister’s assurance to consider his request for the special package gives hope to Kerala, he said.
