Relief camps opened in the district following the recent heavy downpour are likely to be fully closed down by Tuesday as rain has subsided considerably.
As on Monday, only six camps accommodating 349 people were operational in the district from the height of nearly 100 camps accommodating thousands of people. The existing camps are being operated in Paravur, Kanayannur and Aluva taluks and are likely to be closed down by Tuesday, according to the district administration. Among the camps, the one at Government LPS, Vattapparambu, has the most number of inmates with 157 people from 46 families.
Action plan
Health officials are undertaking initial cleaning drives at places where water has receded. N.K. Kuttappan, District Medical Officer, said that water quality testing, chlorination of water sources and sprinkling bleaching powder are among the activities being taken up by health officials with the help of volunteers.
He said that shortly an action plan will be formulated to deal with post-rain scenario.
Hibi Eden, MLA, said that cleaning drive using bleaching power despatched by health circles concerned is under way at numerous places in Ernakulam Assembly constituency, including Udaya Colony, which was one of the worst hit in the flooding.
Following the death of a 47-year-old, one of the residents of the puramboke land along the banks of Muttar River at Kunnumpuram near Edappally, owing to Leptospirosis, the village officer concerned has been asked to undertake a thorough cleaning campaign in the area before relocating the people who resided there.
All nine families will continue to remain in the relief camp till then, Mr. Eden said.
After a child at the camp developed fever, the Chief Medical Officer from the Cheranalloor primary health centre visited the camp and collected blood samples of all inmates.
The district administration has identified 14 areas that have been battered by floods and more efforts are required to pull them back from the current situation.
The most affected part of the district was the coastal belt at Chellanam where two camps had accommodated nearly 2,000 people. The surrounding areas are in a bad shape with floodwater and seawater incursion, Mr. Kuttappan said.
Jerwin Joseph, convener of Chellanam Janakeeya Samithi, said that the plight of Chellanam residents has become so normalised that it no longer makes news. Mercy Josy, Chellanam panchayat president, said that cleaning was under way in full throttle as water has receded though there was a minor intrusion of seawater on Monday morning.
