KALPETTA: WHEN flash floods began swallowing her house at Vellamunda village in Wayanad on Wednesday, 67-year-old Bharathi could do nothing but scream for help. More than her own safety, she was worried about her bedridden husband. Thanks to a stranger, the couple was rescued and are now at a relief camp in Pulinjammal school. Bharathi, one of the 766 inmates at the camp, recounts with horror the shocking moments when disaster struck. “It was past 6 pm on Wednesday and it was getting dark. As usual, we were busy with routine work when we heard some noise. When we came out, water had almost covered the entire house.
Soon, it started entering the house. Thankfully, a stranger rushed in and saved us,” she said. Like Bharathi, almost all the inmates had similar stories to tell. Stories of how they battled various odds to stay alive. At least 2,000 people, mostly tribals, were rendered homeless in the flood. Fingers are now being pointed at the unscientific manner in which shutters of the 40-year-old Banasura Sagar dam, an earthen reservoir, were lifted without prior warning to the people living downstream.
KSEB, which manages the hydroelectric dam, opened all the shutters within a short time on Wednesday evening, leading to flash floods in the area. As a result, many areas under five panchayats came under water within minutes, forcing people to flee. Latheef, another inmate at the camp, said many families had a miraculous escape. “Usually, people go for work after leaving kids at home and return late. Fortunately, no one went for work on that day due to rain. It helped them save their kids,” he said.