Standing guard to his cattle tied to the railing of Manjaly Bridge along the Manjaly-Kochi airport road, 52-year-old Gireeshan, a dairy farmer, had a forlorn look.
He had to move his cattle to the safety of the bridge in the early hours of Friday when water started gushing into his house next to the bridge after midnight.
“It’s like we are being put through the nightmare all over again. Last time, I had to shift my cattle to the terrace when water rose all of a sudden. This time we were more alert,” he said.
It was not just cattle that had taken refuge on the bridge. Parked on either side of the bridge and the road leading up to it were countless vehicles, bikes, cars and carriage vehicles, from the immediate neighbourhood to spare them from submerging.
A few metres away at Thelathuruth Junction where the road leading to Puthenvelikkara and the airport intersects, life had literally come to a standstill. With both the roads under sheets of water as far as one could see and people moving out of their houses to the safety of a camp in a nearby church, the junction had turned the hub of activities.
In his rain gear, 23-year-old Arshmon was busy stopping motorists on their tracks and warning them about the danger ahead. As our cab was about to turn left headed to Puthenvelikkara, he knocked on the window pane. “Things are not good. It is a risk taking the route,” he warned us as a smile peeped through his anxiety.
Behind him could be seen people approaching the junction in small country craft with their possessions along what was otherwise a perfectly surfaced road.
Returning after shifting his family to the relief camp, Ratheesh, a ministerial staff at the Ernakulam Rural Police Chief’s office at Aluva, was looking to lend a helping hand to the needy.
“Water has entered houses at Thelathuruthu, Chalakka, Cherukadappuram, all falling under Puthenvelikkara panchayat. People are not taking any chance and are moving out though the situation is not yet serious as it was last year,” he said.
Helping people move out of their houses in a country boat was Kuttappan, a casual labourer. He dragged the boat carrying people with his bare hands as it hit stretches where the water was not deep enough for rowing.
Waiting for those reaching the junction was Shefeeque who had been taking batches of people to a relief camp at a nearby church on his vehicle. “We, a bunch of friends, are doing the volunteer work by helping people in distress. We were here till Thursday night and returned early this morning hearing that houses were getting inundated,” he said before setting out for yet another trip packed with people to the camp.
Mary and Sujatha, friends from Chalakka, had waited till the last minute in the hope that water would spare their homes. But it was not to be and ended up seated on the back of Shefeeque’s vehicle.