 “The most important thing is … we should not allow another tragedy to happen because there is a possibility of spread of contagious diseases,” the minister added.
“We are taking every measure at every possible step to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.”
In the short term, the priority is ensuring the physical and mental health of those affected, Ms George said.
She added that in the long term, the affected need rehabilitation, including the building up of township.
“It is really a challenging situation for the state,” added Ms George, who is also the state’s Woman and Child Development Minister. Â
Experts said the area had received heavy rain in the last two weeks that softened the soil before extremely heavy rainfall on Monday triggered the landslides.
Nearly 1,600 people have been rescued from hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates during the last two days, according to authorities, with nearly 350 buildings damaged.
Read the full article here
