Kerala flood relief fund New Zealand

Kerala floods recovery to take years as 10,000 km of roads washed away, 1 lakh houses damaged

The state government has estimated a loss of Rs 20,000 crore, with Idukki, Malappuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts being the worst affected in the Kerala floods.

The waters may be receding in Kerala but previous post-flood scenarios in other states suggest it could take years for the southern state to help rebuild its people’s lives, destroyed in one of the worst floods in a century, and some more to implement measures that could significantly minimise the impact of a similar disaster.

The state government has estimated a loss of Rs 20,000 crore, with Idukki, Malappuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts being the worst affected in the Kerala floods. Government officials say the state’s topmost priority is to rescue people and provide lakhs of the affected with relief materials. They, however, admit that rebuilding the state will be a “daunting task”.

“Tough days are ahead,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Monday when asked about his government’s plans to start the reconstruction work. “Over a million people are in the relief camps and as of now they are our priority. We are assessing human and material damage,” he added.