Owners of poultry farm in Kannur devastated by landslide left without even emergency aid
Poultry farmers in Cherupuzha protest the lack of emergency financial aid after a landslide and flood destroyed their farm, killing 6,300 chickens and causing 30 lakh rupees in damage, with no promises materialising.
Poultry farmers in Cherupuzha protest the lack of emergency financial aid after a landslide and flood destroyed their farm, killing 6,300 chickens and causing 30 lakh rupees in damage, with no promises materialising.
Poultry farmers in Cherupuzha protest the lack of emergency financial aid after a landslide and flood destroyed their farm, killing 6,300 chickens and causing 30 lakh rupees in damage, with no promises materialising.
Cherupuzha: Poultry farm owners are protesting against authorities who have failed to sanction even emergency financial aid, despite 55 days passing since the natural disaster. On August 1st, a poultry farm in Meenthulli was completely washed away in a landslide and flash flood that struck Cherupuzha panchayat. The deluge resulted in the death of over 6,300 chickens, and items including 59 sacks of chicken feed were swept away.
The total damage is estimated at ₹30 lakh. Water surged into the farm after a landslide in the Karnataka forest caused the Tejaswini River to overflow its banks. In a matter of moments, all the chickens and feed sacks in the shed were swept away.
Binup Cheruvallil, Binish Korakkattil, A V Jayachandran, and Vinod Karala, auto-rickshaw drivers from Pulingome, had jointly established the poultry farm on a private plot. They had started the venture by pooling their earnings from auto-rickshaw rides and securing loans. With favorable market prices for chickens, they had high hopes for their business.
However, they now lament that all their aspirations were literally washed away overnight. "Now everything is lost. All 6,300 chickens are dead. Not even a single sack of feed remains," the farm owners stated, their voices choked with tears. Beyond the devastating loss at the poultry farm, they are now consumed by anxiety over how to repay the loans taken for shed construction and other related expenses.
Following the devastation at the farm, the Collector, elected representatives, and leaders of various political parties visited the site and pledged support. However, almost two months have passed, and the owners lament that not a single promise of aid has materialized. The only assistance disbursed was ₹5,000 as financial aid for those whose homes were inundated. Locals are now urging authorities to conduct a thorough assessment of the damages and immediately sanction emergency relief for all affected individuals.