By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: 29 days after lorry driver Arjun from Kerala went missing in the Shirur landslide in Karnataka, a search team comprising naval divers recovered lorry parts from the Gangavalli river in Karwar, reports reaching here said.
The bodies of Arjun from Kerala, Jagannatha of Shirur and Lokesh of Gangekolla have not yet been recovered, and finding the lorry parts has given new hope to the search team. The team will continue the search operation in the middle of the Gangavali river on Aug 16 when a dreger from Goa is expected to arrive.
According to the district administration, 11 people have died in the landslide, but only 8 bodies have been found so far. The Kerala government urged the Shirur district administration to go ahead with the search operations.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Government announced a relief package for the survivors of the July 30, 2024, Wayanad landslide. Addressing the media after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on August 14, 2024, the next of kin of those who lost their lives would get Rs 6 lakh each.
The Chief Minister also said that Rs 75,000 would be allocated from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to those who lost eyes and limbs or suffered disability up to 60 per cent due to the landslides and Rs 50,000 financial assistance to those who suffered disability between 40 to 60 per cent or suffered very serious injuries in the disaster.
Apart from this, the Chief Minister also said that an amount of up to Rs 6,000 would be given to those willing to move into rental homes. The initiative is aimed at easing the pressure in relief camps.
Families opting to move in with their relatives will also be eligible for up to Rs 6,000. This amount is intended to cover the house rent, providing some financial support to both displaced families and their hosts.
The CM, however, clarified that no rental assistance will be provided to families shifting to government-run buildings or to homes offered free of charge by others.
The government has identified several accommodations for temporary resettlement, including quarters under the Public Works Department (PWD), local self-government institutions, and other government departments. Privately owned rented houses have also been secured for the purpose, Pinarayi said.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
Image by Jan Helebrant from Pixabay
