Thousands were evacuated from the low-lying areas close to the banks of the Periyar river by Thursday afternoon even as the rescue teams continued to receive SOS calls from many trapped in their homes from the morning.
Roughly over 1,000 people remained stranded in various parts of Aluva as Periyar continued to be in spate, said officials engaged in rescue operations. Those who had ignored the earlier alerts to evacuate issued in anticipation of the continuing rise in water level were the ones mainly hit on Thursday, they said.
Rain intensified by 2 p.m. triggering fears about further rise in the water levels in Periyar. The rain-swollen river flowed through the residential areas in Aluva and its nearby 13 taluks, besides inundating the major arterial roads. Thousands were shifted to numerous relief camps set up in the region. Revenue Department officials said they were unable to provide an exact figure as the entire focus had been on rescuing stranded people.
As the first floor got submerged, many took refuge on the second floor and when that no longer appeared safe they urgently sought help from the rescue agencies, officials said.
Hundreds of personnel belonging to the Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State and Ernakulam district Disaster Management Authorities, Coast Guard, and Department of Fire and Rescue Services were pressed into service to rescue the people trapped in their homes. Social media platforms were flooded with distress calls, with many crying out for help.
Many families were feared trapped in their homes in places such as Kadunagalloor, Thottakattukara, Karumalloor, Thuruthu, Desom, Kalady, Companypady, Manjali, Veliyathunad, Malikampeedika, Paravoor Kavala, Chowara, and Eloor North Paravur. Chengamanad, Keezhmad, Kottekkad, Mullamkuzhi, Edayapuram, Kuttamassery, Chalakkal were also among the places affected.
Rail services were suspended temporarily through the bridge number 176 between Aluva and Angamaly following the increase in water levels. Hundreds have been shifted to relief camps in Aluva. Fire force officials said they were receiving hundreds of distress calls from areas close to the banks of Periyar. They were requested to evacuate on Wednesday itself, but they preferred to stay back. Rescue efforts are progressing as we have to reach out to hundreds of homes, said a senior official of the Fire and Rescue Services.
People shifted to relief camps were facing problems such as shortage of food and other essential items. Several people pointed out that they were facing acute shortage of drinking water. The district administration has called for help from individuals and organisations in providing food, medicine and other essentials to the flood-affected.
About 2, 500 persons were shifted to the relief camp set up at UC College, Aluva. With no power supply, the inmates had a tough time. Help poured in from various individuals and organisations when they volunteered to supply rice, medicines, and other essential items. ‘‘I have never seen such a deluge in my 70 years,’’ said Raghavan, a resident of Veliyathunadu.