A resident of Vadakke Vayal in Kozhikode drying out his documents by the roadside on Monday. more-in The district administration has a Herculean task at hand - to rebuild the lives of flood-hit people as Kozhikode is slowly returning to normalcy with rain easing and floodwaters receding. It’s just a beginning for hundreds of people who have been hit by the flood. “We sincerely hope that government agencies would come to our help,” said Malu, a 68-year-old widow whose house at Nedummalil near Kannadikkal was submerged in the flood. Victims’ predicament The predicament of many victims is similar when it comes to rehabilitation. “I have lost everything. I am worried about returning to my normal life,” says Sajini, 48, of Vadakkumpuramvayil. Her husband is a cancer patient. Around 45,000 people, mostly from the hilly regions of the district, had to abandon their homes and settle at relief camps. At present, around 10,000 people are still sheltered at around 75 relief camps in Kozhikode, Koyilandy, Vadakara and Thamarassery taluks. Several families are still staying at their relatives’ homes. ?500-crore loss So far, the south-west monsoon has claimed more than 40 lives in the district. A preliminary estimate of the loss was put at ?500 crore. Houses in the vicinity of Kakkayam, Kuttiyadi and Peruvannamuzhi dams have been either been destroyed or partially damaged. Heavy rain and landslips have swamped some of the villages at Puthuppady grama panchayat. “The worst flood I had seen was some 40 years ago. Now, I had to go through another ordeal. It may happen again. The government should take preventive steps as well along with mitigating our problems,” Ashokan, who stays in a relief camp at the Kozhikode Government Women’s Polytechnic College, said. The district administration has chalked out short-term and long-term plans to reconstruct public utility facilities. However, the wholehearted participation of various volunteer organisations and merchants bodies seen in the relief operations is also necessary for the government-sponsored rehabilitation programmes in the future. A coordinated effort should be initiated to secure funds through the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and MLA Local Area Development Fund.

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