Monsoon claims 77 lives in Kerala, govt okays relief funds for districts

The southwest monsoon, which arrived on May 29, has triggered havoc in Kerala and claimed 77 lives, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The government has set up 37 relief camps in 24 hours and efforts are on to address monsoon-related incidents.

A total of 283 houses have been completely destroyed and 7,213 houses partially affected due to rain. Around 7,751 hectres of agricultural land has been hit and 3,790 people moved to safe shelters.

A total of 180 relief camps have been set up, accommodating a total of 30,549 people. The government has ensured proper food and health care for them, said Vijayan in a social media post. The government has allocated around Rs 5 million each for district collectors.

Earlier, reports had suggested that the government was planning to sanction around Rs 1.21 billion for flood relief and form a panel to come up with guidelines and recommendations to address natural calamities.