KOCHI: Janaki watches apprehensively as the sporadic downpour continues unabated. “A few more days like this and water from the dams will have to be let out. What will become of us then?” the woman sighs, as if she resigned herself to her fate. This time, though, nature seems to have relented a bit compared to the horrors of the 2018 deluge.
For residents of Chengannur, the torrential rain on Sunday night brought back painful memories of that fateful day two years ago when the region was submerged after a raging Pampa burst its banks, flooding entire villages. By Monday morning, however, the immediate threat subsided, but not the danger of flooding. With more rain expected in the next few days, fear stalks residents who live in dread of losing what little they have should there be another heavy spell of rain and resulting flood.
Low-lying areas, including Mangalam, Edanad, and Pandanad, had been flooded from Sunday morning. “Around eight homes in the Pandanad area were completely flooded. The residents were shifted to the relief camp there. The suburban roads are under four feet of water,” said Pradeep Kumar, Ward 8 councillor, Chengannur municipality.
Joseph Mathew, a resident of Arattupuzha who had to flee after the gushing floodwater entered his house in 2018, did not have to leave this time since the water did not enter the house. “We are glad that this time we did not have to leave home. We do fear, however, that if the rain continues and the dams release water beyond a certain limit, we will face an issue like the one in 2018. This time we hope that such a situation does not arise,” said Joseph.
Saji Cherian, Chengannur MLA, said all precautionary measures have been taken in the constituency to prevent a repeat of the 2018 flood situation. “Around 120 camps had been opened in the constituency even before the situation worsened. Even in the time of Covid, we had arranged a separate facility for those in quarantine. The revival of the Varattar river has also been a positive development. Since the water started receding on Monday morning, many families have started returning home,” he said.