New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda, seeking help for the tribal population of his Wayanad constituency in Kerala badly hit by floods and landslides, destroying their habitations and rendering their land uncultivable due to deposits of silt.
He urged Munda that his nodal ministry to spearhead efforts for monetary compensation and comprehensive rehabilitation to the affected tribal families by coordinating between the Centre and the state government.
On the inter-ministerial central team under the aegis of the Home Ministry visiting the flood-hit states, including Kerala, Rahul said the rehabilitation of the tribals should include clean drinking water in their hamlets on priority, sustained livelihood generation citing 2018 report on floods for reskilling the tribal women in climate resilient agricultural work and natural resource protection under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and create disaster resilient housing for the tribals.
He also wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi vijayan for expeditious reconstruction of Kaippinikadavu bridge on the Chaliyar river that connects villages of Kurumbilangode and Chungathara in Malappuram district devastated by the floods. Lack of connectivity between the two villages has further slowed down their recovery, he underlined, urging to build a temporary structure in the interim to ensure safe access between the two villages.
