Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 30,000 men and women of Kerala police will be part of Operation Jalaraksha II, a massive rehabilitation effort of the force intended to help flood-hit citizens get back to their homes safe.
State police chief (SPC) Loknath Behera said this was a sequel to Jalaraksha I wherein the police and the Fire and Rescue Services evacuated and rescued 90,000 people marooned in various parts of the state. The police alone carried out 53,000 evacuations, he said.
The officers had stretched hours of work and had little protective gear as they ventured out to rescue people in treacherous terrain. The SPC said the force had the support of the fishermen and vice versa as they negotiated the remotest and most-affected parts of the state to take out those marooned.
He said the focus now was on enabling seamless resettlement. “Each officer will be in charge of the rehabilitation of a family. We will provide all support to those returning to their homes and will ensure the security of women and children at every relief camp. Officers will also provide assistance in cleaning up houses," Behera said.
The police were ready to clear any possible traffic glitches and would oversee the restoration of roads. “Patrolling will be intensified to prevent theft. People will have to return homes and restart lives. Until their lives are normalised, officers will be on their job," he said.
The SPC said he would personally oversee the rehabilitation of three families. "The Janamaitri Police will build houses for very poor families who have lost their houses. The police will also raise Rs 10 crore for the chief minister's disaster relief fund,” he added.
Behera said action would be taken against traders who fleeced customers by creating false scarcity.
