Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad: The Kerala Bank announced on Monday that it would write off loan of those affected by the devastating landslides in Wayanad on July 30. However, the bank has yet to ascertain the volume of loans taken by people in the affected areas and their current status.
Meanwhile, one body and three body parts were recovered during search operations on Monday. One body and one body part were recovered from Nilambur area while two body parts were found near Aanadikapp in Kanthanpara. So far, 231 bodies and 205 body parts have been recovered.
Kerala Bank President Gopi Kottamurikkal said the bank’s board of directors had decided to write off loans taken at the Chooralmala branch to the landslide victims and those whose mortgaged properties were destroyed in the tragedy.
The bank, a federation of district cooperative banks in the state, had earlier donated Rs 50 lakh to the CM’s Distress Relief Fund. In addition, the bank employees will also contribute five days’ salary to the CMDRF, it said.
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Basheer Kalathiparambil, 44, a volunteer from Kondotty, has been helping recover bodies during major tragedies in Kerala for nearly two decades. His expertise has made him a sought-after figure among the authorities. He recently recovered over 150 bodies from the Wayanad landslide and described it as the worst disaster he has ever witnessed.
The Supreme Court initiated proceedings on its own initiative regarding landslides in Wayanad district. A bench headed by Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and VM Syam Kumar was examining a number of appeals against the rejection of quarry licences. The court stressed the need to create a policy for development activities that takes into account ecological factors and regulate harmful activities to prevent future disasters.
