The construction of a multipurpose cyclone shelter for providing refuge to over 1,000 people during natural calamities is progressing in Thazhava grama panchayat.
The 3.4-crore shelter being built under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) can be used for other purposes in normal circumstances.
The Centre’s NCRMP is an attempt to mitigate the effects of cyclonic storms in coastal States through structural and non-structural measures.
The shelters being built will come up in coastal areas that are prone to hydro-meteorological hazards. The World Bank and the State will share the cost of the construction in a 75:25 ratio.
The project implemented by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority aims to provide shelter to communities living in the coastal areas of the State who are vulnerable to various calamities, including cyclones and coastal erosion.
Families that are often evacuated from their homes during disasters will be shifted to the shelters, which will also function as a centre for coordinating relief activities.
The three-story building will have a large kitchen and dining hall along with rooms and separate toilets facilities for men and women.
The construction will follow a disaster-proof method that can withstand cyclones and other calamities to a great extent.
“The design of the building makes it quite flexible so that we can conduct public functions, weddings, training sessions and other community events in normal conditions. There is also provision to set up classrooms since it’s basically a multipurpose structure,” said an official.
First shelter
Kerala will have a number of such shelters across the coastal districts, and the first one was set up at Mararikkulam in Alappuzha.
The locations have been selected considering various aspects, including access and possibilities of hazard-free transportation during an event of disaster.
The shelter will be managed by a committee including panchayat officials, representatives of various departments, the police, Fire and Rescue Services officials and differently abled persons.
