Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday visited the flood relief camps and got an earful from the people there as they accused him of coming late and about the shortage of facilities in the camps.
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He visited the camps at some worst-affected areas like hengannur, Kozhencherry, Alappuzha, North Paravur and Chalakudy. Vijayan visited several camps and was welcomed with anger and complaints. Some complained about his late arrival, while some complained of shortage of food, snake menace, lack of toilet facilities- they say that there are four toilets for 800 people and contaminated water.
The CM visited every camp for 10-15 minutes, the short time he spent angered the people in the camps. “His visit was only a ritual. In a sense it was touch and go. We could not tell him about our mounting problems,” said Meenakshi Amma at a relief camp in North Paravur.
The CM said that not when the rescue operation is over they’ll concentrate more on building houses and rehablitation. “The government is committed to alleviate the suffering of people in relief camps. We will help them construct their houses and ensure their livelihood. Different agencies are working hard to ensure better facilities at camps,” said Vijayan after visiting a camp in Christian College in Chengannur.
“The government is with you. We will do everything possible to help you get back to your feet,” he said in another camp.
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The government is also facing problems as more than 10 lakh people had been dislocated in 6000 flood relief camps and since many camps are facing sanitation problems there is a very high chance of some water-borne disease. But in many areas clean-up operations has been started.