The Eloor-Edayar zone, the heart of Kochi’s industrial belt on the banks of the Periyar, that houses more than 300 small and big units is now a scene of destruction. Incessant rain for almost a fortnight has sunk industrial unit premises, equipment, vehicles, water purification plants and pumps.
The loss of raw materials and products too has been enormous, said Sojan Joseph, president of Edayar Industries Association on Tuesday. He said that industrial unit owners have been provided with a pro forma to submit the calculation of their losses to the association.
Production at the public sector Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore’s (FACT) Udyogamandal unit, which produces complex fertilizer Factamfos and ammonium sulphate, has been stopped for four days. It is not yet clear when the production would resume. Sources said that the water purification plant went completely under water in the rain and flooding of the Periyar. However, the water purification plant has been repaired and pumping has restarted, providing not only water for FACT units but also for over 3,000 families in the nearby Eloor area. FACT provides around 10 lakh litres of water to the people per day.
Sources in the State-owned Travancore Cochin Chemicals said that production units are functioning without interruption to provide products like chlorine for the massive cleaning efforts under way across Kerala following the floods.
An official of the Industries Department said that industrial units in Aluva and Kunnathunadu taluks have been devastated in the flooding. An official assessment of the losses has just begun, the official added. Plastic and plywood units in Perumbavoor, rice mill operations near Kalady, furniture and rubber products clusters spread over Aluva and Kunnathunadu taluks have suffered enormous losses.
Gracy Thomas, who heads an apparel park in Angamali with around 150 women under the cluster, is speechless when asked about the losses the little units have sustained. “I am in no mood even to think of the losses,” she said on Tuesday. The Apparel Park members had been preparing for the Onam season. The entire stock of products and raw materials have sunk in the flood, said Ms. Thomas.
A.A. Joseph, who runs a chemicals unit at Edayar, said the unit had suffered heavy losses. The unit even caught fire during the massive flooding and five fire tenders had to be pressed into service to bring things under control, he said. N.P. Oommen, who runs three units, in Edayar said that one of the units went under 14-feet water and that some others had suffered huge losses after recently purchased machinery went under water.
