THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In Marayamuttom, perched atop a rugged hill, stands a weather-beaten house, its patchwork roof trembling under the threat of impending rain. The path leading to it, treacherous and nearly impassable, bears the scars of recent downpours.
For Melhi, an elderly woman whose heart resides within these frail walls, this house has been a sanctuary of dreams. Her son, Joy, the anchor of their modest existence, collected scrap and carried out sanitation work to keep their hearth warm.
Each morning, Joy would set out, his mother’s hopes tucked in his heart, returning by evening without fail. But fate took a cruel turn on Saturday. “He left early, as always. I waited for him to return... but he hasn’t,” Melhi lamented.
Joy, part of a crew tasked with clearing a choked section of the Amayizhanchan canal near Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, vanished amid the raging currents swollen by relentless rains. His absence left Melhi suspended in a painful limbo, seeking solace in Joy’s brother’s home.
“Joy is the second of my four children. My daughters are married and living with their spouses. The one cent of land one of my daughters own is where Joy and I lived,” she murmured.
Moved by Melhi’s plight, MLA C K Hareendran pledged immediate assistance, promising to secure her future with a new path to ease her daily struggle. “We cannot let her endure this anguish. The panchayat will act swiftly to construct the path. Our focus remains on Joy’s return, but we must also ensure Melhi’s well-being,” he said. As rescue teams brave the odds, Melhi’s eyes remain fixed on the canal, yearning for her son’s safe return.
Provide protective gear to fire force: HC judge
Justice Devan Ramachandran on Sunday wrote to the director general, Fire and Rescue Services, urging to ensure the safety of the fire and rescue personnel engaged in the rescue operation at the Amayizhanchan canal in Thiruvananthapuram, by providing cover for their heads. In a letter sent to the director general, the judge pointed out that he noticed from the media visuals that the heads of the officers were uncovered. Hailing the officers’ efforts, the judge said, “The selflessness of the Fire and Rescue officers in the face of great adversity, desperate to save a fellow human, cannot be merely expressed in words. With bare protection and disregard for the consequences, we see them wading and diving in the rancid and putrid waters. They are true heroes.”