Except for the cascading effects of the various flood reconstruction and mitigation schemes, the State Budget this year has little to offer for Koottickal, the flood-ravaged village on the eastern high-ranges of Kottayam.
The panchayat , which had been hit hard by the back to back flash floods in the Pullukayar in October last year, was pinning its hopes on an exclusive allocation towards its reconstruction. The local body, as per estimates, sustained damage worth over ₹100 crore with the flood waters washing away about 36 bridges and several roads , besides an array of houses on the river banks and standing crops in hundreds of acres.,
While the local residents always reiterated the need for a special package towards shifting those settled along the river banks, reconstruction of the roads and bridges, their hopes seem to be dashed as of now. But for the allocations towards reconstructing the Mukkulam bridge at Yendayar and a new fire and rescue station and a new bridge at Mundakkayam -- the major stop over to the high-range village, little else is forthcoming on this account in the budget .
