Kochi: The Kerala Government has submitted a disaster memorandum to the Kerala High Court, detailing the anticipated costs that would be incurred following the recent landslides in Wayanad. The same memorandum was submitted to the Centre on August 17.
Some of the expenses looked highly inflated. For instance, it was stated that an amount of Rs 2,76,75,000 (rupees two crore seventy six lakh seventy five thousand) was required to carry out the last rites of 359 people who lost their lives in the tragedy; meaning, Rs 75,000 for each body. Further, it was said that Rs 11 crore was spent to buy clothes and utensils, which works out to Rs 26,816 per survivor. In total, the government has estimated a cost of Rs 1202 crore.
Nonetheless, the government memorandum itself makes it clear that as per disaster management norms, Kerala would be entitled to just Rs 219.23 crore, just 18 per cent of what has been sought. The state, for example, has reckoned that there are 25 persons who have suffered disability of more than 60 per cent in the landslides. And for them, Kerala has sought Rs 6.25 crore. But as per norms, Kerala would get only Rs 62.5 lakh for the rehabilitation of these severely disabled victims. Again, Kerala has sought Rs 14 crore as livelihood assistance for over 2010 people for 90 days. But, as per norms, the entitlement is just Rs 5.43 crore for the same number of beneficiaries.
Here's another example of the yawning gap between the state's requirements and what it will receive. Kerala's memorandum says that 1555 houses were fully or severely damaged during the landslides. Kerala has asked for Rs 233.25 crore to reconstruct these houses. As per norms, Kerala will get just Rs 20.22 crore for the recovery and reconstruction of these 1555 houses.
It is usual for all disaster-struck states to seek money for all their losses, but the Centre plays by the book. For instance, after the 2018 floods, Kerala had asked for over Rs 6000 crore. It did not receive even a third of what was asked for. A year later, after the 2019 floods, Kerala placed a demand of Rs 2900 crore but got nothing.
However, under certain heads, a state would get back all the money it has spent. Money spent under these heads - search and rescue operations, hiring of equipment, temporary accommodation, Indian Air Force assistance, drinking water supply, debris clearance - will be reimbursed fully by the centre. And among the activities that would be fully reimbursed is 'disposal of bodies', one head that has the highly inflated figure of Rs 2.77 crore.
"It certainly would not have cost the Kerala so much money for the mass burial of bodies. But the amount has been inflated in the hope that it could make up for the little that the state could get in other areas like road repair. As per norms, a state would get just Rs 75,000 to repair one kilometre of rural road (Rs 1.25 for every km of a state highway). You cannot even paint 100 metres with that amount. So it is a practice among states to exaggerate the amounts under heads like 'disposal of bodies' where, if a state could produce the necessary bills, they could secure the entire amount unlike in the case of houses where a fully damaged house will get nothing more than Rs 1.25 lakh," a top Revenue Department official told Onmanorama.
The money that would be eventually sanctioned by the Centre will go into an account called the State Disaster response Fund, a kitty co-managed by the Centre and the state. The Memorandum was prepared by the government after the High Court took up suo motu cognizance of the matter.
Some of the other expenses:
Rs 4 crore as travel expenses for armed forces personnel and volunteers who carried out relief and rescue work.
Rs 10 crore to supply food and water for these aid workers.
Rs 15 crore to arrange accommodation for service personnel and volunteers.
Rs 2.02 crore for medical aid.
Rs 12 crore to relocate the people affected by the tragedy.
Rs 1 crore to construct the Bailey bridge.
Rs 2.98 crore to purchase items such as torch, raincoats, umbrellas and gumboots.
Rs 3 crore for devices including IBOD, drone and radars used at the tragedy site during the search for survivors.
Rs 15 crore for other equipment deployed at the site such as JCB and Hitachi earth-movers and cranes. In total, 150 pieces of equipment were used.
Rs 3 crore to conduct DNA tests of bodies.
Rs 8 crore to arrange food for survivors in camps.
Rs 11 crore for clothes.
Rs 8 crore for medical aid for survivors.
Rs 7 crore to arrange generators.
Rs 17 crore was given to the Indian Air Force for the services of its personnel, removal of bodies, and enabling visits by VIPs.
Rs 3 crore to distribute potable water in affected people's houses for a month.
Rs 36 crore to remove debris of the landslide – at Rs 60 each day for two months.
Rs 3 crore to remove water collections caused by the landslides.
Rs 64.62 lakh to remove mud and silt from farmlands, at Rs 18,000 for each hectare.
Rs 47 lakh compensation for farmers who lost their agricultural land – at Rs 47,000 per hectare.
Rs 80.77 lakh to cardamom and coffee farmers.
Rs 6.30 lakh to farmers of other crops.
Rs 87.37 lakh to people who lost their cattle.
Rs 6.48 lakh for people who lost their sheep.
Rs 1 lakh to poultry farmers.
Rs 78,000 to arrange a camp for cattle that survived the tragedy.
The government told the court that many of the expenses shot up as the disaster site was quite far from towns.