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Kerala landslides: Stranded families at landslip-hit Vilangad in Kozhikode seek help for food kits
Efforts on under the leadership of Vanimel grama panchayat authorities to address the needs
Rescue team members carrying out search operations at landslip-hit Vilangad in Kozhikode, Kerala, on July 31.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Over 200 families stranded in different parts of the landslip-hit Vilangad village in Kozhikode’s Vanimel panchayat in Kerala have called for public help for essential items such as rice, sugar and other food items as no grocery shops are available near the area.
Members of these stranded families in the upland area are solely depending on the supply of a help desk opened by the panchayat authorities, which is finding it difficult to meet the requirements.
“The two small grocery shops near Manjacheeli, one of the affected areas, are out of stock now. As there are five relief camps now, the panchayat authorities are struggling to address the situation,” says Selma Raju, Vanimel grama panchayat member who represents Vilangad.
She says the impact of the multiple landslips which shook the village on June 30 has been devastating.
According to the panchayat authorities, supply of food kits comprising essential items will be of great help to the stranded families. Arrangements are in place at the Vanimel panchayat office to collect unsorted items and supply it in the form of kits to the needy. The panchayat is also taking care of over 800 relief camp members in five different spots.
Houses destroyed
Revenue department officials who visited some of the affected locations reveal that 18 houses have been destroyed at Vilangad and surrounding villages in the multiple landslips. The calamity has damaged over 60 houses. Casualties were minimal mainly since the inhabited areas were quite less in the landslide-prone region, they said.
Power supply that was disrupted is yet to be restored in these remote villages though maintenance works have been underway for two days. According to KSEB officials, over 150 lamp posts were destroyed at Vilangad. Over 15 transformers were submerged in floodwaters. As per the preliminary assessment, KSEB suffered a loss of ₹50 lakh. It would take at least one more week to restore the supply, they said.
Bridges destroyed
“The landslips which took place on July 30 in over 10 locations have destroyed 15 bridges, including the recently constructed ones, in the village. Roads connected to these bridges are in a dilapidated state,” said P.T. James, a local resident. He points out that the authorities are yet to understand the gravity of the incident as casualties have been minimal.
Over 800 persons affected by the landslip are now staying in various relief camps opened in Vanimel panchayat. More camps are likely to be opened for the stay of people in other stranded villages.
According to Revenue department sources, District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh has visited some of the affected spots to take stock of the situation. More field-level actions will be taken soon for helping the affected people, they said.
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Kerala
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Kozhikode
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natural disasters
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disaster management