The Hindu : Kerala News : Rehabilitation begins in Alappuzha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Rehabilitation begins in Alappuzha

By A. Harikumar

KAYAMKULAM, DEC. 30. The death toll in the tsunami onslaught on the Alappuzha coast on December 26 rose to 32 today with a 65-year-old man succumbing to his injuries in the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital today.

Gopalan, Kizhakkathil House, Vattachal, Arattupuzha, breathed his last this morning. Gopalan has been injured seriously in the seismic wave attack.

More than 200 persons are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the district. The rehabilitation of the tsunami-hit families residing in various camps in the district began today.

Workers of various organisations engaged in relief operations started cleaning the houses in the wave-hit areas. Many of the damaged houses in Arattupuzha are not fit for staying as they are filled with the dirt and sand deposited by the waves.

The volunteers removed the carcases of domestic animals killed by the waves. The carcasses of a large number of hens, cows and goats were buried by the volunteers. They sprayed disinfectants in the area.

The volunteers cleared the roads in the area of sand and other impediments. The construction work on latrines also began in the area today. The officials of the Health Department supervised the work.

Water, power supply

Efforts to restore water and power supply to the tsunami-hit areas also began. Officials and workers of voluntary organisations are together executing the works.

Meanwhile, the authorities had to suspend their drive to remove the name boards and banners of voluntary organisations from their stalls. The workers of Seva Bharathi, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, the All India Youth Federation and the Jamaat-e-Islami resisted the drive when the police tried to remove their banners. The inmates of the camps supported them. Following this, the police retracted.

Meanwhile, a large number of people were evacuated from the coastal areas of the district following fresh threats of tsunami today. Buses and other vehicles were used for transporting residents of coastal areas to safer centres.

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