North Paravur and surrounding areas continue to reel under floodwaters with several areas remaining totally cut off on Sunday.
Vehicle movement is smooth up to Manjali bridge from where the road is flooded in neck-deep water. Manjali Junction has not been affected, but nearby areas such as Chalakka, Chelathuruthu, Cherukadappuram, Kuthiathode and Manalikkavala are among the areas that are still cut off.
Around 50 patients were evacuated from the Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Chalakka, by volunteers using a big lorry on Sunday. The patients were shifted to the Ernakulam Medical College. However, those who were evacuated said there were patients still trapped in the hospital.
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Sajeer, a volunteer, said that they had been using the big lorry to ferry people out of flooded buildings and houses close to Manjali Junction where local people were seen serving hot cups of tea and snacks and drinking water as rescued people reached the junction.
Rajamma, an old lady who was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, said she was trapped till Sunday. Shini, her daughter, said that the hospital had no electricity. There were also a shortage of doctors and nurses. Manjali and its surrounding areas are suffering from power outage for the past five days, said Hamsa who waved his mobile phone to show that the phone was dead because it could not be charged.
North Paravur was the focus of relief and rescue operations held on Sunday. Of the 47 rescue units of the Navy, 21 were deployed at various places in North Paravur. Of the 1.36 lakh food packets airdropped, 82,000 were made available in the region. All the operations, including the functioning of the in-patient wing, were resumed at the Govt. Taluk Hospital, Paravur. Ten medical teams visited various relief camps. About 1,000 medical kits were airdropped in various areas. The supply of petrol and diesel was restored at Paravur. Three petrol pumps of Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd started functioning. About 14,600 families have been admitted in 171 relief camps in North Paravur.
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Ramesh D. Kurup, chairman of North Paravur municipality, said that relief camps needed antiseptic lotion, anti-fungal powder, bleaching powder, etc. He said that hectic efforts were on to rescue those still trapped in inundated regions.