: Kerala's Kuttanad, popularly known as the 'rice bowl' of the state, which had suffered immense damage in the recent deluge, will soon have flood-resilient community shelters.
A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Wednesday decided to construct the shelters in 12 village panchayats in Kuttanad using money from the Chief Ministers's Distress Relief Fund (CMDFR).
Located in Alappuzha district, Kuttanad is one of the few places in the world where rice cultivation is carried out below sea-level.
The scenic place, a major tourist hotspot, had suffered severe water-logging and widespread damage of houses and roads in August floods last year and also this time.
The community shelters that can withstand floods would be set up using Rs 35.99 crore from the CMDRF, which was contributed by the Kerala State Financial Enterprise (KSFE) when the massive floods had hit the southern state last year.
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"The KSFE management and staff had expressed interest to build community shelters using the amount.
So, the cabinet has decided to give them back Rs 35. 99 crore to implement the project," an official press release said here.
The proposed shelters would be implemented on the model of 'Care Home', the prestigious housing scheme of the state Cooperative Department, it said.
Respective village panchayats would be given permission to use one-acre plots with road facility for the community shelters, the release added.
The Cabinet also decided to organise a week-long Onam celebration from September 10 to 16 and declare the Vellayambalam-Manacaud stretch here as the festival zone during the period.
The official Onam celebration was cancelled last year due to massive floods that ravaged the state, claiming over 400 lives and leaving lakhs homeless.
Over 100 people were killed in the state this month due to heavy rains and landslides.
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