'Cyclone Ockhi cannot be declared national calamity'

Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre on Sunday said Cyclone Ockhi, which wrecked havoc in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep, cannot be declared a national calamity as there is no such scheme, but assured all necessary assistance to tackle the situation.

Speaking to reporters after attending a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Secretariat here, Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam said the Centre has already given necessary relief funds to the state government.

"We have received a memorandum from the state government requesting to declare Cyclone Ockhi as a national calamity. But, there is no such scheme for the Centre to do the same," he said.

Though the Union Tourism Minister earlier backed the Kerala government's contention that they had not received any prior warning about the cyclone, he later clarified that the central agencies had given necessary alerts on November 28 and 29 itself.

Kannanthanam, in the presence of Vijayan, earlier had stated that the state had received the cyclone alert only on November 30 and a clear prior warning had not been issued before that. The Union Minister later visited nearby Punthura, a coastal hamlet where fishermen are protesting alleging delay in rescue of their kin, who had ventured into sea days ago.

He also said that 90 fishermen from the state were yet to be brought back to the shores.

Kochi: Lakshadweep islands, which was hit by Cyclone Ochki, has suffered a loss of over Rs 500 crore, Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faizal said on Sunday. Faizal sought the Centre's assistance to restore normal life in the islands isolated by the storm.

He said normal life in three islands -- Minicoy, Kalpeni and Kavaratti -- was badly hit by the cyclone.

Around 500 houses suffered damage, several coconut trees got uprooted and electric and communication lines were disrupted due to the calamity in Minicoy island alone, he said.

Several crores of rupees have to be spent for rebuilding the houses and paying compensation to farmers who suffered huge losses as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep islands under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi, Faizal said.

An estimated Rs 200 crore loss has been reported following the collapse of the 'breakwater'-- a barrier built out into the sea to protect a coast from the force of waves -- at Kalpeni, he said.

Passenger services in the island were affected due to the damage to around 10 boats which sank off Minicoy and Kalpeni islands, Faizal said.

A desalination plant at Kavaratti also got damaged.

Immediate central assistance is required to restore normal life, the MP said.

People working at Minicoy island have been accommodated in schools which have been converted as rehabilitation centres.

Precautionary measures taken by the Lakshadweep administration soon after receiving the cyclone alert helped save lives in the island, he said.