NGO to build, repair 6,000 homes in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6: With an aim to rebuild Kerala, devastated by unprecedented floods in August, NGO Habitat for Humanity India would build and repair 6,000 homes of those affected by the deluge.
The initiative is being taken up by the NGO as part of the second second edition of Jacqueline Builds - a unique campaign featuring Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez.
The second edition to be held in December this year, would focus on rebuilding homes that were fully or partially damaged by the deluge, a press release said.
The campaign would have Jacqueline Fernandez visiting few flood-affected areas in Kerala and volunteering to construct and repair flood-affected homes.
She would also urge her fans to come together to rebuild Kerala, the release added.
The Habitat for Humanity India is actively involved in the relief operations in response to the floods and landslides in Kerala.
In the first phase of the relief operations, the organisation provided First Responders' Kit, humanitarian aid Kit and bottled drinking water to 93,889 families.
In the second and third phase, it would construct and repair homes for 6000 flood-affected families in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad districts and rehabilitate them.
The release quoting her said, "The recent flood in Kerala has severely affected thousands of families and damaged homes.
This is the time when the people in Kerala need our whole-hearted support to bring life back on track.
That's the reason why, I will be coming to Kerala reconstruct homes, rebuild lives. I am looking forward to meeting people in Kerala and work with the volunteers in Kerala."
Previously with Jacqueline Builds, she helped us in reaching out to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan to help flood-affected families in Tamil Nadu.
Based on the detailed field assessments, 8 severely affected districts have been identified for immediate and future interventions, said Managing Director of Habitat for Humanity India, Rajan Samuel.
As many as 491 people have lost lives in the state since the onset of the monsoon on May 28.
The Jacqueline Builds campaign played a key role during the relief and rehabilitation process after the flood in Tamil Nadu in 2016.
Jacqueline travelled to Tamil Nadu to volunteer her service to the cause of rebuilding homes of the flood-affected people.
Habitat for Humanity India built and repaired 671 homes, constructed 356 sanitation units and distributed about 7,000 humanitarian aid kits containing items such as tarpaulin sheet, nylon rope, water filter and a personal hygiene kit in Tamil Nadu.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
