After two days of inclement weather that made repeated attempts futile, two choppers sent by the Indian Air Force were able to land at rain-ravaged Nelliampathy on Tuesday evening to airlift half a dozen people stranded there and shift them to Kanjikode in Palakkad to ensure them immediate medical relief.
The Air Force personnel had also brought in a few bags of rice and essential commodities for distribution among over 3,000 people stranded there for the past five days. Those who were in need of immediate medical care included two pregnant women. After taking them to the helipad at Kanjikode, the six persons were admitted to different hospitals.
Incessant rains, landslips, and flash floods have destroyed a 15-km stretch of the lone road, 40 km long, to the famous hill station from the downtown Nenmara.
Rapid Action Force personnel engaged in restoration of the severed road link said it would take another fortnight to complete the work, facilitating movement of vehicles. Most portions of the road near Cherunneli have been totally washed away in flash floods and heavy rain.
250-member team
On Monday, a 250-member team of rescue and relief workers, including four doctors, paramedical staff, and members of the Rapid Action Force, had reached Nelliampathy by trekking through difficult terrain carrying four tonnes of rice on shoulders. Grocery and medicines were also taken. A total of 70 landslips had occurred at the hill station sharing border with the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. All the stranded people are tribal people and plantation workers. Though they lacked food materials and medical care, no house was damaged or property was destroyed.
