Lack of toilets cause of worry at overflowing relief shelters
ALAPPUZHA: K Reshmi has been sheltered at a relief camp on the girls’ high school campus at Pandalam in Kerala’s flood-hit Alappuzha district since she was rescued last week. The worst is behind many like her at 6,000-odd relief camps across the state, but challenges remain as their lives are likely to remain disrupted for some time as Kerala faces its worst natural disaster in around a century.
“Food is not a problem… We have heard it is pouring in from different parts of the country. What we need are more toilet facilities and clothes. Some are in the same clothes they wore when they were rescued,’’ said Reshmi, as she was huddled together with other flood victims at the crowded relief camp.
Some of those at the camp complained of a lack of basic facilities and feared an epidemic threat. Many patients evacuated from flooded hospitals are also housed in camps like these. “Most of these camps remain crowded… That is the reason many dread to go to these camps… We cannot blame authorities and the government,” said M Girish at a camp near Chengannur, in reference to the reports that many people were staying put in their flooded houses.
Officials said the camps do not have enough toilets since most of them are situated in schools and colleges. They said most of the camps are overcrowded and many have to wait for hours to use bathrooms.
In Alappuzha, the administration has sought the help of NGOs and corporate houses to supply more make-shift toilets.
At some places, migrant workers complained they had been turned away from the relief camps, prompting officials to warn of strict action against those mistreating them. The mistreatment reports forced the Odisha government to take up the matter with Kerala. Many workers from the state are involved in construction work in Kochi and surrounding areas.
“We have over one million people housed in the relief camps. The Union government is coordinating well with the state to provide the best care to them,” said Union minister K J Alphons.