Valiyathuruthu in Kainakary grama panchayat was the first to experience the pain of the floods that ravaged Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, last year.
Now, almost a year on and the next southwest monsoon round the corner, residents of the panchayat say they are finding it hard to rebuild their lives.
A number of flood victims are still living in rented houses, while several others continue to take shelter in their damaged houses, awaiting government aid.
Family hit by floods
The family of Gopinathan K. was among 258 families that live in close quarters at Valiyathuruthu, a place below sea level, severely affected by back-to-back floods.
Gopinathan remembers vividly June 14, 2018 when a portion of the bund in front of his house collapsed and gushing water from the Paalkaranthodu almost swept away his grandchild out in the courtyard.
Watermark
The exterior wall of his house still bears the watermark of the floods. Inside the house, the floodwaters left craters on the floor after soil underneath it and a portion of foundation of the structure got washed away. The house now stands on sand bags.
“After the devastation, my family was promised assistance to rebuild the house. However, we have not yet received a single penny from the government. The authorities rejected my application sighting lack of land documents. We have only the government to approach for help, but it is showing a complete indifference to the flood victims,” Gopinathan says.
Rented house
The family, after living several months in the unsafe building, recently moved to a rented house.
His neighbour Ramya Ratheesh, her husband Ratheesh P.R., and their daughter live in a shack, damaged in the floods. “We have no other place to go. The authorities have promised us help, but after several months we feel cheated,” says Ms. Ratheesh.
Bund breaches
After two bund breaches in June and July, followed by the August deluge, inundated all houses in Valiyathuruthu, the district authorities have promised to find a permanent solution to the problem.
But nothing concrete has taken place, other than temporarily securing the breached portions of bunds with logs of coconut tree and mud. As another southwest monsoon on the doorstep, the residents say lack of strong bunds leaves the place vulnerable to flooding again this season.
Promise still on paper
“The place was submerged for almost 100 days last year, forcing all families to vacate their houses. After the devastation, the government promised ₹5 crore to strengthen bunds using granite around the polder. But it remains on paper,” says Ajesh Kumar, a local resident.
With hardly any help coming from the government, the residents under the aegis of the Valiyathuruthu Padashekara Samithi are now busy increasing the height of the bund using mud, as a temporary measure.
Meanwhile, sources said a permanent solution to the issue would be included in the new Kuttanad package.
