Search operations to find 131 people, who are still missing in Kerala’s Wayanad district, entered the 14th day on Monday, August 12. The biggest-ever natural disaster in a single place in the state took place on July 30, which has left over 200 dead.
According to authorities, the first set of DNA test results are expected on Monday. These are of the victims who have been buried in the 64 cents of land given by Harrison Malayalam Plantation in Puthumala. Last week a mass burial of unidentified bodies and numerous body parts took place and each of the graves has been numbered. The survivors will be able to identify their near and dear ones after the DNA results are out. Any further religious events or rituals can be done by the family after identification if required, said the officials.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, August 11, two more body parts were recovered in the Kanthanpara area of Wayanad following extensive search operations. The search operations were carried out by a 30-member team deployed in Soochipara and Kanthanpara areas, considered to be difficult terrains.
Kerala Police, Kerala State Fire and Rescue personnel, volunteers of various service and youth outfits and locals were part of the search operations. They were also supported by hundreds of civil volunteers including women.
According to reports,2,243 individuals remain in relief camps in the district. The authorities have promised they will do everything to move people from relief camps to homes and other places in the area. Around 250 locked homes have been identified and the authorities will be making allotments to those in the relief camps. A special counter set for the survivors at the relief camps to apply for lost certificates.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government has started deputing government officials from various departments to Wayanad to help the current staff in various offices to speed up the rehabilitation process. More and more health officials, especially counsellors, are being deployed in the affected areas.
The day-long visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he spent three hours more than planned on Saturday, brought cheer to the survivors when he met them and those in the hospitals, and assured them that the government would help them in every possible way.
Even though the Pinarayi Vijayan government has submitted a preliminary report seeking a Rs 2,000 crore assistance, PM Modi after seeing a detailed presentation, while chairing a special review meeting at Wayanad on Saturday, has promised all help and has asked the state to submit a detailed report.
(With inputs from IANS)