KOCHI: Camps in the North Paravur region are mainly secluded, as water has surrounded the camp premises. At the camp in the St Thomas UP school in Thuruthoor, even food was difficult to procure. The situation is no different at the Kaprassery relief camp and the RG relief camp in Kalady Brahma Vidyalaya. Almost all the relief camps in the North Paravur region are now facing food shortage as heavy water flow obstructs rescue workers from reaching these areas. Over a thousand people reside in these camps; currently, there are 449 camps in the city with 26,825 families thereby making the number of inmates, 118395. Some camps, including SPWHSS in Companypadi, had to be shifted following flooding within the camps.
Philomena teacher has been making calls to everyone she knows for help since morning. There was no food and a lot of mouths to feed. “We had made Upma in the morning, however, we were not able to feed everyone. From kids to pregnant women, the camps have a lot of people inside. Various teams of army, navy, fire force and rescue personnel are involved in rescue operations in the area.” she says.
However, most people stayed back on the second floor of their houses, and are now stuck without food or drinking water, with the rainwater slowly finding its way up.
“The main issue we face in taking food to the camps is that there is water on the way and most of the vehicles won’t survive the trip. Even if we decide to go on foot, the water is very tricky in some areas. The flow is also high, which would be a big risk in itself. As of now, people are relying on the rescuers and food supplied by them. From some camps, people wade their way through the water to collect the food. the presence of reptiles in the water is a factor working against people in this case,” said Rajesh, a social worker involved in rescue operations in Paravur.
“Here in Puthanvelikkara, thousands of people are now stuck inside the camps without food. As there is hip-length water, getting materials on vehicles impossible. We are trying to collect it from the nearest stores,” said Ashil, another rescue worker here in Puthanvelikkara.