KOCHI: Crumbling walls, roofs that have caved in and remnants of the flooring that was there some weeks ago are all that remains of what was once the Viruthi Two-cent Colony in Chengamanad panchayat. It is said ‘the third time’s lucky’. But in the case of the people of the colony, the third time proved to be very much unlucky.
According to Jince, a resident of the colony, in the first two floods, the water came only to the knees. “However, the third time it wreaked havoc. The water reached our roofs. The water completely submerged our homes, destroying everything that we had gathered over the years, penny by penny,” he said.
The 16 families of this colony are spending sleepless nights in the panchayat community hall. “There is no electricity. Since even the hall was completely submerged, the walls are yet to dry. The electricians have left open the switchboards and the mains. Only after it is confirmed that everything is dry will the connection be restored. We are waiting for that day anxiously,” said Ameena, a physically challenged woman.
Once the darkness falls, the residents sit in the flickering light cast by the candles and kerosene lamps looking out for snakes that come slithering in from the nearby paddy fields. “It is scary. With no doors and windows, the creepy crawlies can come slithering right inside,” said Naveen, another resident. These residents are a neglected lot. “This is the first time someone has come over,” said Sindhu. Since the water supply is erratic, the people here are unable to even clean their houses. “There had been no water supply to this colony after the floods. We were being supplied water by the panchayat in tankers. How can we clean our houses using this water? We can’t waste it,” said Ameena. She has dug a small pit in her courtyard and is using the water from this temporary well to clean her house.
Nearly all the 16 families, each family comprises more than 8 members, hope the district administration will come to their rescue. A teary-eyed Sathyapal said, “If the government doesn’t come to our rescue, we won’t be able to survive.”