People from over 800-odd houses in Aluva Thuruth area were rescued by the locals and the Fire Force as the Periyar river in spate submerged the lone road to the low-lying area. Water surged into a hundred houses in Thuruth, with the road down the bridge on the side of the railway line completely submerged.
While the local residents with two country boats made at least 20 trips, shifting out 40 people in each trip, the firemen used their rubber boats and dinghies to get the people out.
Though not all houses are affected, power supply was cut off as a safety measure as two transformers were partially under water, said Abdul Rasheed K., Assistant Divisional Officer of the district Fire Force. All those who came up to the shore were rescued to the other side.
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Vehicles and manpower fell short to take up rescue operations on a larger scale, said one of the Fire Force personnel.
Shamla with her family had packed a small baggage for two days to go to her parent’s house. “Water has not yet come into the house, but we can’t say how the river will be at night and there is no power too,” she said.
Raghav, a clerk at ITI Perumbavur, who had taken up residence in Thuruth less than two months ago, was moving away to find another shelter for the time being.
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