The Kerala government has drawn up a comprehensive scheme of ₹2,450 crore for the rehabilitation of fishermen across the State. The government has already rehabilitated as many as 2,321 families from coastal areas hit by severe coastal erosion triggered by global warming and climate change through the Punargeham scheme.
A total of 21,220 families living within 50 m of the high tide line will be rehabilitated to safer locations. Out of this, 8,675 families have informed their willingness to relocate to safer locations, said Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian. As part of the Punargeham scheme, 390 flats and 1,931 individual houses have been constructed, while 1,184 flats and 1,373 houses are under various stages of construction.
Further, steps have been taken to rehabilitate 400 families at Muttathara in Thiruvananthapuram by constructing a complex of 50 buildings after acquiring 8 acres of land owned by the Dairy Development department. The government plans to hand it over to the beneficiaries in one-and-a-half years after completing the project under the supervision of the Harbour Engineering department.
Each housing unit will have an area of 635 sq ft, including a common utility, two bedrooms, a hall, a kitchen, and toilet facilities. The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) is entrusted with the task of construction. Further, those who have informed of their willingness to move to safer locations can either buy land up to 2-3 cents on their own to build a house or buy land and house together or even identify land in groups and build a flat for which a maximum financial assistance of ₹10 lakh per family will be given, said the Minister.
Besides, flats are being built on government land and private land under the supervision of the Fisheries department, for which a transparent system has been set up with the District Collector as chairman and people’s representatives as members to select the beneficiaries, added Mr. Cherian.