After a visit to the remote tribal colonies along the Sabarimala forests in Ranni, we headed to the urban areas of the constituency that were ravaged by the deluge of 2018. Two and a half years later, most of the families still complain of the lopsided manner in which compensation was disbursed for the houses damaged by the raging floodwaters. At Cherukolpuzha, one of the worst-hit areas in Pathanamthitta, we could see remnants of what the gushing floodwaters had brought to the houses and shops in the vicinity. Large quantities of white-coloured silt lay on either side of the road at Ayroor-Cherukolpuzha, where Hindu religious meet is held every year on the banks of the Pampa.
Residents of Ayroor-Cherukolpuzha believe the opening of the many dams upstream aggravated the disaster that struck this small town on the night of August 14, 2018. But what pains them more is the apathy on the part of the administration in providing them adequate compensation. Most of them indicated that their resentment would reflect in the upcoming election as well.
“It cost us at least a one and a half lakh rupees to clean the house of the silt and sludge and to make it liveable. But what we got was less than half the amount as compensation. We are still running behind the officials,” said Pankajakshi Amma, a local resident.
According to Preetha B Nair, former member of Cherukolpuza ward, the distribution of compensation has been as per the whims and fancies of the officials. “While people close to the ruling party managed to get compensation up to Rs 2.5 lakh, those without political backing had to be satisfied with Rs 10,000 provided as immediate relief,” she said. Preetha’s house was also among the many dwellings damaged in the flood.
As we headed further north to Ranni town, images of the 2018 deluge, when the entire town on either side of the Pampa lay flooded for many days, came back to our minds. Scores of houses and commercial establishments suffered heavy damage in Ranni panchayat.
While compensation was provided to partially damaged houses, most of the houses that were completely destroyed were rebuilt by voluntary groups and the government.
Sunil Cheruthalayam, who resides near Ranni police station, rescued at least 20 people stranded in houses on the banks of the Pampa in a country boat and moved them to higher ground. “I got bitten by a poisonous snake during the rescue effort and was hospitalised for many days.
My house got washed away in the flood but I was lucky to be among the beneficiaries of houses built by charity worker M S Sunil,” he said. TNIE also visited two houses built by the state government under the Care Home project near the SC Pre-matric Hostel at Ranni. "We were homeless for a year. But our wait did bring its reward. Within a year, we were provided with a new house," said Sreekala K K, the beneficiary of one of the houses.