Battlefields left behind by the nature's fury in Kerala

As the water level in the landslide and flood-ravaged areas of Kerala receded and people started to return to their homes, what was awaiting were heartbreaking scenes.

Many houses were reduced to rubbles and many are at the risk of falling at any time. Furniture, vehicles, home appliances, vessels, books and other valuables were irrecoverably damaged. Nature's fury ravaged areas literally looks like a battlefield filled with the lifetime earnings of a score of people remaining 'dead'.

While women could be seen desperately searching among the debris for any valuables left behind, many men were sitting in despair.

Most of the houses along the banks of the Manimala river at Koottickal and Mundakkayam towns along the borders of Kottayam and Idukki districts in central Kerala that got damaged belonged to those from economically weak families of daily wage earners who were already bearing the brunt of the Covid lockdown.

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Hence many families like that of bus driver Jebi and wayside fruit vendor Billal lost their lifetime earnings.

"I have been eking out a living from way-side fruit sales. This house was built from the small savings I made after meeting the requirements of my family comprising wife and daughter. Already we have financial liabilities that aggravated with the Covid lockdown. Hence I literally don't know how to take life forward," Kootickal native Bilal told DH sitting on his house that suffered extensive structural damage after being submerged in the water.

Mundakayam's native Sunny said that since the water level in the river rising to the brink of the bridge was nothing new many remained in their homes themselves. But all on a sudden the water level started to rise and families literally ran to find shelter, said Sunny whose house is now almost hanging close to a stream as a portion of its basement were washed away along with the portion of a concrete walkway bridge.

Many old aged women and children staying near the landslide spot at Koottickal that claimed around ten lives could not even recollect how they managed to run for safety on hearing the thundering sound of the landslide and the water level rising.

Many like Rasheeda were yet to come out of the shock over the narrow escape they had. Along with her children and grandchildren, she took shelter at her neighbour Jebi's house right on the river bank. But owing to the sense of fear all of them moved out of the house and within minutes the house plunged as such into the river along with two other adjacent houses - a video that went viral on social media.

"It is our entire life savings that are now remaining as concrete rubbles on the river bank," laments Jebi.

It was indeed a double whammy for the shop keepers of the localities who suffered extensive damage to goods as they were just struggling to revive from the impacts of the Covid lockdown.

Many waterfront luxurious houses along the river banks also suffered extensive damage to costly interiors as the water level rose to over ten feet in many areas. Even those who were sitting in the comforts of their first floors had to desperately seek help for rescue as the water level increased alarmingly, which was never anticipated by the locals.

Mundakayam native Shameer, who was actively engaged in rescue efforts, said that many in two-storey houses were initially declining their offer to shift to safe places. But later they started to make desperate calls for help.

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