The extent of destruction caused by the massive floods in Aluva and nearby regions was revealed on Sunday as it left thousands homeless, destroyed property and infrastructure in its aftermath.
A journey through Aluva town and nearby areas in the afternoon was full of vivid images of roads lined with empty foundations, cars flipped upside down, trees uprooted, iron roofs torn off buildings, snapped power and phone lines, impassable roads, flooded toilets and overflowing sewers.
“We may have to start building from scratch. All the shops in the area got drowned in the flash floods,” said a group of traders in Aluva even as they began picking up damaged property from the dirty water.
Revenue authorities said an assessment of the exact extent of loss might take weeks even though they placed the unofficial estimate running to crores. A clear picture would emerge only after the water receded, they said.
Restoration of power in the inundated regions under the Perumbavoor circle (Aluva, Perumbavoor) of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is expected to take a week or more, according to the preliminary assessment made by the officials. Nearly 200 of the 2,500 transformers, which were switched off in the wake of the floods, remain under water. These areas include Aluva-West, Chowara, Kunnukara, Athani, Chengamanad, Parakadavu, Poovathussery, Koovapadi, Kalady, and Kanjoor. Power supply has been restored in some areas which were not affected by the floods, said KSEB officials.
Relief camps
As Aluva and nearby regions cope with the aftermath of the lethal floods, thousands continue to take shelter at numerous camps set up at various places. Officials said about 50,000 flood-hit people had been housed in over 200 relief camps in these areas.
Even though there was adequate supply of food and other essentials, many camps were facing scarcity of undergarments for women and kid’s wear. Hectic efforts were made to plug the demand-supply gap by evening. The district administration said truck loads of relief and rescue materials were received from various parts of the State at the collection centres set up at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Kadavanthra, and PWD Rest House, Pathadipalam near Kalamassery.
The camp inmates waited anxiously for the flood waters to recede even as many wept inconsolably over the losses they had suffered. “I have nowhere to go. The floods have taken everything away,”cried Ramla, 55, a resident of Vattakunnam near Muttar.
