Though the flood waters have receded from a major part of Upper Kuttanad, certain areas in the low-lying Perigaara and Mepral areas are still remaining waterlogged, posing high public health risk to the entire region.
About 100 families at Kazhuppil colony who have got land and home under the Government’s ‘Zero Landless’ project in 2015 are the worst affected sections in the post-deluge scenario.
Many houses at the Mundappally colony near Vengal too are surrounded by water and people, especially children and the elderly, have to wade through these squalid waters to reach their homes.
Bereft of clean water, they are left with little option other than washing their clothes and utensils in this dirty water.
The situation in Kadapra and Niranom areas too is not much different.
As many as 130 families residing at the Pampa River Factory colony in Kadapra have lost everything in the deluge as the flood waters gushed over their roofs. Certain houses still remain flooded and the affected families have been temporarily shifted to the PRF quarters.
With the flood waters inundating all wells, the villagers have to solely depend on the potable water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority and the local self-government institutions.
Though in a limited way, the panchayats supply potable water to the households from a common distribution point every day.
The KWA too has made hectic efforts to reach its treated water to as many households in the flood-ravaged Upper Kuttanad villages.
Drinking water scarcity
However, drinking water scarcity is at its worst at Valavanaly, Peringara-West, Niranom-West and in Thengeli in Kuttoor panchayat.
Drinking water scarcity is acute in the areas of Vengal, Niranom-Thottady, Kombankery, Valavanaly, Mundappally and Alamthuruthy.
The Community Health Centre at Chathankary in Peringara panchayat that was inundated in the floods was made functional a few days ago, after proper cleaning.
District Medical Officer A.L. Sheeja, said the Health Department has taken every possible effort to prevent leptospirosis outbreak in the Upper Kuttanad villages.
Two persons died of leptospirosis in Chathankary.