After three days of being shut in due to incessant rains and blocked roads, Anna and I kept wondering what might be the reality outside!
I telephoned Jayan, our neighbour who takes us to places by his auto-rikshaw when we need his help, who readily agreed to take me to different places which are submerged in water, due to the heavy rains for three days.
As we crossed the place submerged in water, what I noticed was two migrant workers eating their breakfast at mid day from packets of food offered to them from the community kitchen run by volunteers.
As we drove along we saw men and women in a long queue to collect arian and some provisions from the fair price shop run by the government! That was a disturbing sight as so many must be desperate due to shortage of food at their homes!
As we moved into the market area where there are rows of shops, we saw some of them cleaning their shops which have had a six or more height of water for about 72 hours. All the mobile phone sin one shop were damaged! The photocopying machine in another shop was damaged beyond repair!
There was another spot where we noticed people outside a bank to withdraw money. The disturbing story of most of them was that hey lost their pass books or ATM cards in the flood. The bank had trouble with accessing data as its electronic net work also suffered disruption!
I Knew from the television news that hundreds of people had to be evacuated from their homes. We came to a place where a couple hundreds are living for the last three days. There are senior citizens, children, pregnant women, etc. all with many limitations of the convenience of their homes . About three hundred people are in relief camps as of now.
Ou domestic helper did not come to work for three days. I expected him yesterday as it was a dry day. When I called him during the mid day he was returning form a relief camp after delivery food packets which he and his neighbours prepared! It was a touching story! Most of the community kitchens are run by volunteers!
Jayan took me to the highway and what I saw was submerged roads at different places. Only trucks can negotiate these roads as of now. The rial and road traffic are restricted. So there is shortage of petrol and diesel, vegetables, milk, etc as trucks and trains are unable to resume due to damaged roads and rial tracks.
I watched this gentleman standing on his gate in a pensive mood. He had heard of the deluge of 1924 form his grand parents. Now he witnessed a flood worse than that of 1924. Even his house had water on the ground floor! His was an expression of loss and anxiety!
He to me was a symbol of thousands of people, who have a long journey ahead of them ! I saw a young lady in the TV news that her wedding was to have been on Sunday. Her house has been under water and she fears that even the wedding purchases including jewellery that she was to wear was washed away!
Our compound wall collapsed in the rain. A custard apple tree is uprooted. There is a running stream through our property which has some nutmeg trees. We had in between power supply. Shymala who is the other domestic helper came everyday and cared for us!
Our only major inconvenience was that we could not go to work in the hospital as the roads were blocked!
We felt cared for with the telephone calls, messages, mails from friends different places. Anna and I felt encouraged and touched by these gestures!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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