Five-member expert team to visit landslide-hit areas in Wayanad today

Expert panel will also recommend suitable land uses for area, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has directed appointment of more psychiatry experts from medical colleges to serve in disaster areas

A five-member expert team led by senior scientist John Matthai of the National Centre for Geosciences appointed by the State Disaster Management Authority will inspect the landslide-hit areas in Wayanad's Meppadi panchayat on Tuesday.

The team will assess the risks in different parts of the disaster area and related areas. The team will assess how the disaster happened and what phenomena occurred in the landslide. After the expert examination, the report will be submitted to the government.

The expert panel will also recommend suitable land uses for the area. The team will function under the Disaster Management Authority Act 24(h) of 2005. The Centre of Excellence in Water Related Disaster Management (CWRM) Principal Scientist and Head Dr TK Drishy, Suratkal NIT Associate Professor Dr Srivalsa Kolathayar, District Soil Conservation Officer Tara Manoharan, and Kerala Disaster Management Authority Hazard and Risk Analyst P. Pradeep are in the expert group.

Apart from that, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has directed the appointment of more psychiatry expert doctors from medical colleges to serve in disaster areas. This is in addition to psychiatrists and counsellors in the Department of Health.

Activities are being carried out to ensure the mental health of people, including children. Individual and group counselling is provided. Today alone, 100-member mental health teams visited 13 camps. Group counselling was given to 222 people, psychosocial intervention to 386 people and pharmacotherapy to 18 people.

The health team of the health department has so far visited 1592 homes and ensured health care. 12 health teams visited 274 houses. Instructions were given to take measures to prevent communicable diseases. Infection control protocol will be mainly followed.

Health, Women and Child Development Department officials will visit the camps and evaluate the activities. AYUSH services are also provided. So far, 91 DNA samples have been sent for testing.