Emergency relief measures will be taken without delay in the rain-ravaged eastern parts of Kollam and an action plan prepared, District Collector Afsana Parveen has said.
Various department heads have been directed to come up with temporary and permanent measures. Procedures for disbursal of compensation will be expedited after appraising property damage through Rebuild Kerala mobile app.
She was visiting the affected areas on Tuesday to assess the damage. Ms. Parveen said the Irrigation Department had been asked to submit a report on the loss caused by the landslip near Shivan Kovil on the banks of the Kallada river in Punalur, along with the redressal measures taken.
Repair of roads
“If there is a risk of recurrence, it should be made clear and details on the construction of protective walls should be handed over. Water from the Thenmala dam should be released only in accordance with the change in water level,” she said. The Public Works Department has been directed to expedite the repair of damaged roads near the Pathimoonu Kannara bridge (13 arch bridge). The Minor Irrigation Department will submit a report on the safety measures at the flood-hit Nalu Cent colony in Edappalayam. The panchayat authorities have been instructed to intervene in solving the drinking water problem in the area.
Whether disaster-prone
Based on the report of a geologist, it will be decided whether the houses in the Ashraya Colony are habitable during heavy rain. In emergency situations, the residents will be shifted to temporary camps to ensure safety. While local bodies have been asked to remove debris from the landslide site in Edappalayam, geologists will gather information to find whether the area is disaster-prone.
Officials have been asked to submit the reports immediately. The Collector said a meeting of the heads of departments and local bodies would be convened to assess the situation and take action. Tahsildars K.S. Nasiya, Ajit Joy, deputy tahsildar T. Rajendran Pillai, Disaster Management Authority superintendent A.Santosh Kumar, PWD executive engineer Tessimon and Major Irrigation Department assistant engineer Shivashankar were part of the inspection team.
