CHENGANNUR: With monsoon expected to set in anytime soon, people in Aranmula, Kozhenchery, Mangalam and Chengannur, who endured the worst during mid-August flood, are hoping against hope that the nightmarish experience might not repeat this year. In Aranmula, a temple town - barely 5 km from Kozhenchery in Pathanamthitta district near the banks of the Pampa - people literally clung on for life after the deluge inundated majority of the households there.
Similarly in Chengannur in Alappuzha district, at least 15 lives were lost and almost the entire population had to flee their homes. As dark clouds now hover over the horizon, those living near the Pampa’s banks are filled with dread. According to them, if indeed it rains heavily this year, shutters of the Kakki reservoir in Pathanamthitta will be opened yet again leading to an increase in the Pampa’s water level with fatal consequences.
“I’ m not planning to move out. Where will I go at this age? If it is my fate is to drown in the flood, then I will rather die happily here in my home,” said Thankamma, 78, from Aranmula. She was witness to the havoc wrought by the deluge. Though Thankamma has lived close to the river all along, she says mid-August flood was the worst natural calamity to have struck the region. Ramani’s case is no different. When the huge column of water swept into Mangalam, situated just a couple of kilometres from Chengannur town, her house situated there was submerged under 4.5 m of water.
“We never want to go through such a situation ever again. It took us an hour to get to the rooftop with my 80-year-old grandmother when the water gushed in. Until then, the water never entered our residence during the monsoon. If the government fails to put in place pre-emptive steps, then we have no option other than to die,” said Ramani.
The scale of death and devastation wrought by the mid-August flood in Chengannur was unprecedented. Thiruvanvandoor, Kurattishery, Pandanad, Puliyoor and Mulakuzha were the worst affected areas, with 68, 232 people shifted to 132 relief camps. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chengannur got 471 mm of rainfall from August 1-15 last year, while Kozhencherry received 712.6 mm of rainfall from August 1 to 20.
“We stayed in a relief camp for over 12 days. At least, we were able to stay together as a family. We did not even know at the time whether our relatives had indeed survived the floods. So far we got only Rs10,000 from the government as initial compensation, despite being included in the category of 16-29 per cent loss (partial loss),” said M G Varghese of Chengannur.
Keeping an eagle eye
Ahead of the monsoon, the Revenue Department, including taluk and village officers, are taking all steps to deal with possible flooding. “We are keeping a constant watch and taken a count of relief camps which can be set up in the event of an emergency. Trucks have been identified and contact number of drivers collected,” said Santhosh Kumar D, Kozhenchery tahasildar. Chances of securing wireless radios for hassle-free communication are being explored so as to avoid breakdown in communication which occurred during last year’s flood, he said.
Headquarters deputy tahasildar and State Public Information Officer S Mohanan Pillai said emergency contact numbers will be provided to village officers and panchayat members. “Of the 172 houses which suffered total damage in Chengannur, the second tranche of compensation has been given. Now, with the government giving nod for receiving appeals from people, more cases will be considered,” he said.