CHENGANNUR: Chengannur has a sizeable population of the elderly staying alone, with their children having migrated seeking greener pastures. Omana, a wheelchair-bound resident of Arattupuzha with a servant to take care of her, is 'missing' and her relatives in America have been contacting rescue workers frantically to know her whereabouts.
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An officer with the Fire and Rescue Department said they have been inundated with similar calls from countries like Canada, the USA, the UK and from West Asia. The power lines in the area were switched off on August 15 and there was no way to contact the flood victims as the mobile phones were drained of power. The BSNL land lines that stopped working on Thursday were revived on Friday evening which came as a big relief.
A team from the NDRF also arrived and they rescued around 1,000 people by August 16 evening. Though it was difficult to reach internal areas like Edanadu, Malekkara and Arattupuzha, the rescue workers saved around 1,000 people on Thursday. By Friday morning, two-storey houses at Edanad and Arattupuzha lay submerged. Power was switched off on the 15th evening. It was pitch dark, with no potable water or phone connectivity. Some NGOs and local people were distributing food packets in fishing boats.
On Friday, the Navy started air-dropping food packets. Two youngsters, Binu and Ajeesh, who went to Neervilakom for rescue work went missing on Thursday and their bodies were recovered on Saturday. Rescue workers said three bodies were recovered from the houses in the area after water started receding.
Parts of Kochi inundated
Kochi: Even as water levels started going down in the flood-affected areas, various parts of the city were inundated. In Edappally, many areas saw water seeping in. In various parts of the city like Vaduthala, Ponekkara and Elamakkara, mostly-low lying areas on the banks of the Perandoor canal, water logging was reported. Tommy is a resident of Kaloor who has at least five families living in his house from Paravur region.
The whole household is tensed as water has entered some parts of the city. In Pottakkuzhy, close to where they live, a whole section of the road has been blocked off as the water level is higher. The authorities have started shifting people from the banks of Perandoor canal since Thursday. Shops have been shut down as water has entered more areas. Arun, a resident of Elamakkara, shifted from his house as water seeped in.