Alappuzha, Kottayam dists to be declared flood-hit

Alappuzha and Kottayam, the worst hit in the recent south west monsoon rains in Kerala, will soon be declared flood-hit districts, officials said today.

A decision in this regard was taken by the state disaster management authority, an official release said.

Once a notification is issued, farmers in the two districts will be able to claim insurance for crop loss, according to the release.

In Alappuzha district, Rs 2.44 crore has been sanctioned by the authority, of which Rs 1.69 crore has to be used for reconstruction of bunds and to prevent floods, it said.

The authority has allocated Rs 35 lakh for undertaking repairs on the Alappuzha Changanassery (AC) road passing through Kottayam-Alappuzha districts.

The Chief Minister's office dismissed as 'baseless' reports that discrimination had been shown in the allotment of funds to some districts, which suffered loss in the rains.

In Alappuzha district, 12 people have lost their lives since the onset of the monsoon on May 29.

Twentyfour houses were damaged fully and 575 partially in the district, where many places are still water-logged.

Nine deaths have been reported from Kottayam district where 774 houses are partially damaged and eight fully, according to official sources.

In Alappuzha, crop loss in 5833.48 hectares has been reported, while in Kottayam crops in 5121.89 hectares have been destroyed.

According to the sources, 44,727 people are staying in Alappuzha district in 187 relief camps, while in Kottayam 4408 people have been housed in 32 camps.