Kochi: After the water receded from many houses in the affected areas, the residents are still in suffering. The water level in Ward 13 of the Eloor municipality which was inundated in the gushing water, reduced to a certain level.
The deluge has weakened the walls of the houses here, which may crumble anytime, while some were already destroyed partially. With a huge chunk of their life savings lost, the victims seem desperate of the coming days.
“We cannot live here as our wells are filled with dirty water, homes are muddy, and toilets are clogged. Besides all this, snake and leeches are crawling inside our houses. We are afraid to come back here,” said Lakshmi Murukan of Erikkeril house, Ward 13, Eloor. Meanwhile, as the walls of the houses are still wet, some suffered electric shock through the walls.
Costly equipment like television, washing machine and refrigerator were also lost in floods. “I had to leave some of the things here which are hard to carry while shifting to the camp. I think we need atleast a week to get the things back in order. There is not even a place to dump the wastes from the flood,” said Michael Joshy, another resident of the colony.
When the flood hit the areas few days ago, the residents had to rush out of their houses with their few belongings.
“I had lost my certificates and other necessary identification documents like Aadhaar card and electoral identity card,” said another resident of the colony.
As the drinking water system was affected in the area, the residents are looking for water provided by the panchayat. But the well which panchayat was using has also turned dirty in the flood. Many people lost their food provisions which they bought in huge quantity in the first week of this month.
Meanwhile, Eloor municipal councilor Chandramathi on Sunday said that the municipality is planning to remove the slush and sanitise the areas which are affected. “Some areas are already sanitized and disinfected using alum and chlorine and we are also helping people to remove dirt from flooded houses,” Ms Chandramathi said.
Damaged homes await inmates of camps shut
With water level receding along the banks of River Periyar, 38 of the total 75 relief camps were closed down. At present, a total of 6,674 inmates from 2171 families are camping in the remaining 37 camps. Many of the inmates are reluctant to go back to their homes which are in bad shape with mud, clogged toilets, poisonous snakes and contaminated wells.
Meanwhile, the District Collector declared Mon-day holiday for all educational institutions in Par-avur Taluk and the sch-ools that are functioning as relief camps in other parts of the district.
In Eloor municipal limits, six of the total 10 camps were closed down after water receded in most places. Most of the people at the relief camps were satisfied with the facilities. “We were given good food, drinking water, and proper medicines, mats, blankets and other basic facilities,” said an inmate of the relief camp functioned at Eloor.
Several NGOs and other social organisations are collecting essential goods such as food items, water, antiseptic lotion, soap, paste, bleaching powder, ORS, sanitary napkins, bedsheet, blankets for the flood victims throughout the district. Army and Navy officials, are coordinating the relief measures.
