Post-Ockhi, govt spends Rs 120 crore

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has shelled out over Rs 120 crore for immediate relief and future projects within a year after cyclone Ockhi left behind unprecedented trail of destruction. Officials estimate it as the biggest-ever allocation and expenditure post a natural disaster in fisheries sector in the state.

As per the revenue department data, an amount of Rs 18.9 crore was spent for relief activities in Thiruvananthapuram, the worst-affected district, making it the highest amount of relief fund to be spent in the past few decades in the district and the highest across Kerala. Kollam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts had to spent Rs 3.7 crore, Rs 2.96 crore and Rs 5.05 crore respectively.

Thursday marks the first anniversary of Ockhi disaster. Five months after the tragedy, the state government had distributed Rs 20 lakh each to families of 92 missing fishermen and Rs 22 lakh each to families of 51 Ockhi victims. The fisheries department had estimated loss to 187 boats and 446 nets and an administrative sanction of Rs 9 crore was accorded as compensation towards loss of fishing equipment.

“We didn’t stop with compensating families. Projects were drawn up with a long-term vision for the education of fishermen’s children. Besides, projects to establish faster mode of communication like satellite phones and NavIC are also underway,” said fisheries department additional director P Sahadevan.

At the onset itself, 1,14,032 families were given an immediate aid of Rs 2,000. The families who got displaced in Ockhi are being paid a monthly rent of Rs 3,000 and for the first year an amount of Rs 26 lakh was allocated.

The department has now undertaken the task to compensate fishermen families who lost their homes, either completely or partially. This amount is higher than that has been allotted to families affected by flood. Fishermen whose houses have been completely damaged are being given Rs 10 lakh while the maximum amount allotted for houses reported with 75% damage in flood is Rs 4 lakh and the minimum amount for flood victims under house damage is Rs 10,000. The government has allotted an amount of Rs 7.41 crore for compensation under damage to houses after cyclone Ockhi. As many as 458 houses have been identified as partially damaged in Ockhi.

Government has also reached out to 318 children of Ockhi victims, allotting Rs 13.92 crore for their education every year till 2037. “We could do away with many mandatory requirements for distribution of aid when Ockhi happened. This helped us distribute the amount at a fast pace,” an official with the fisheries department said. Three marine ambulances are being made at Cochin shipyard at a cost of Rs 18 crore. State government is mulling a Rs 2,000-crore external agency funded rehabilitation package for fishermen community in the state after the Centre has cold shouldered the rehabilitation package to the tune of Rs 7,340.45 crore submitted by the state government after Ockhi.