The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has resumed its bus services through the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) Road.
The road, which remained flooded for the past several weeks, was opened to heavy vehicles on Wednesday afternoon after the Irrigation Department drained out the floodwaters from the road using a dredger and eight high-power pump sets provided by the Kirloskar company and contractors.
Irrigation Department executive engineer K.P. Haran Babu said that the draining process would continue in the coming days. “We have made the road motorable. However, only heavy vehicles are allowed as several portions of the road continue to remain submerged,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials said that people of Kuttanad, except residents of Kainakary grama panchayat, staying at the relief camps across the district would return to their houses on Thursday.
Kainakary still flooded
“Of the 2 lakh people of Kuttanad who left their homes following the deluge, a large number of people have already returned to their houses. Those people still staying at the relief camps will return on Thursday. However, several parts of Kainakary grama panchayat and a few other places continue to remain flooded. Those people who are unable to return will be shifted from schools to other buildings,” said an official. District Collector S. Suhas has directed the Kuttanad tahsildar to open gruel centres to provide food to the returnees. He also asked the Panchayat Deputy Director to set up water kiosks in the region.
Huge participation
Operation Rehabilitation, a massive cleanliness drive to make the flood-ravaged Kuttanad habitable, continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
Between 50,000 and 60,000 volunteers are participating in the three-day drive, commenced on Tuesday, to clear houses, schools, anganwadis, health centres, places of worship and public places of slush and dirt dumped by floods.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar and Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman joined the clean-up operations at Neerettupuram and Thalavady.
Volunteers have cleaned 60,704 houses, 633 public institutions, 123 schools and 342 public places in Kuttanad as part of the cleanliness drive.
A large number of engineers, IT volunteers and snake catchers have also joined the drive in 16 grama panchayats of Kuttanad.
Teams drawn from different areas, including electricians, carpenters, and plumbers, have been deployed to assist in the maintenance works. The engineering wings of local self-government institutions are examining the safety of houses that had remained submerged.
Special teams have been deployed to assess damage in the region. The teams will collect details on drinking water, sanitation, and health.