When monsoon unleashed its fury in the state triggering landslides killing hundreds and forcing lakhs to take shelter in flood-relief camps, Keralites spotted an opportunity to move heaven and earth to offer a ray of hope to the affected people. Onmanorama lists some heart-warming, unique tales that emerged during the time of disaster. These tales are laced with joyous tears and teach us how to help the displaced people cope with disasters – with a smile of hope.
Of cradles and lullabies
At the flood relief camp on the first floor of Malappuram district panchayat building, lullabies and tantalizing aroma of flavoured cereals infused a sense of camaraderie.
The Malappuram child welfare body hosted the camp to look after stranded children under the age of six.
It relocated 25 children from its adoption centre to this camp, after the institution was marooned in floodwaters. However, the kids got a pleasant surprise on August 15.
“It was when the flood fury broke out that we got a call from Eranad hospital, Malappuram, to inform about an abandoned new-born baby boy,” said Niranjan, one of the district level conveners of child welfare committee. “He was born that morning and his parents abandoned him within hours of his birth. We rushed him to our relief camp through floodwaters, where he was welcomed by his elder siblings. The kids, who first panicked due to the unexpected relocation and devastating news of floods, soon became cheerful as they gathered around the cradle of the new inmate. We named him Sharan,” he said.
The camp also welcomed other toddlers from the neighbouring relief camps and functioned as a day-care centre for flood-affected children. Mothers took turns to visit the camp and volunteer as care-takers. After a fortnight, the kids of Malappuram Child Welfare Committee's adoption centre are back to their care-home with their little brother. “I am sure they miss their friends and aunts who cared for them at the relief camp. Many of them have promised to make visits at our care-home,” an aide said.
A memorial of camaraderie
The flood relief camp at Karumathra Government High School, Thrissur, functioned for over a week with more than 300 residents. Its residents prepared food packets for stranded flood victims to be air-dropped in navy helicopters. After the last group of residents left the camp on August 23, the volunteers there spotted two saplings planted in front of the school store room. Kids who were at the camp reportedly planted them as a memorial.
“We saw two newly planted saplings in the school premises after the residents of relief camp left this school. It was another volunteer, who supervised the relief camp operations who informed us that some school children planted them to cherish the memory of their togetherness,” Krishnakumar, a native of Karumathra village and a volunteer told Onmanorama. The NSS unit of school has now built a protective fence and is watering the saplings daily.
A Noah's Ark for stranded pets
Livestock and pets were the most affected during the floods. Many flood victims left their pets and domestic animals at home when they fled to relief camps. Corpses of animals were seen floating in floodwaters as human beings scrambled to take refuge in shelter camps. Animal Rahat, a Mumbai-based NGO, literally functioned as a Noah's Ark during Kerala floods. Eight volunteers, skilled and experienced in treating and administering medicines to animals, crisscrossed the flood-ravaged state in a mobile ambulance to save, feed and unshackle stranded domestic and stray animals.
“We rescued pets and stray animals who were marooned by the floodwater. Hardly did anyone bother to rescue and feed animals during Kerala floods. We gave asylum to them on our mobile ambulance,” Naresh, the chief controlling officer of Animal Rahat, told Onmanorama .
Animal Rahat served in association with Kerala Animal Husbandry Department. Dr SS Nair, one of the senior physicians who served in the team, recalled his experience of rescuing a drowning calf. It was starving for more than 24 hours. The calf's body temperature had dropped alarmingly. We literally rushed it to a veterinary hospital and managed to save its life, he said.
Wedding bells in a relief camp
A flood relief camp at Believers' Church, Gurupuram, tranformed into a make-shift venue for a marriage after Champakkulam native Biju's house was ravaged in the floods. Biju decided not to postpone his daughter Ammu's wedding for a second time. Ratheesh and Ammu's wedding thus took place on August 27.
“My daughter's wedding was scheduled to be held on August 21. Our house got totally submerged in floodwaters,” Biju said.
The families postponed the wedding to August 27 assuming that the repair works could be done in that time.
“But our house is still inundated and we could not return home. I had a discussion with the authorities of relief camp and to my pleasant surprise, they agreed to host the wedding at the relief camp.”
Ratheesh, the bride-groom is a native of Alakkode in Kannur. Authorities of Aryad panchayat in Alappuzha helped Biju organize the wedding. They also gifted the couple with two sovereigns of gold. Representatives from gramapanchayat, local politicians, cops from Aryanad police station and religious leaders in the locality also attended the ceremony.
A second home
Amid the tales of affection, bonding and generosity, many unsung takes of thanks-giving are emerging too.
At Kongorppilly in Ernakulam, residents of a relief camp decided to clean the entire premises of the govt school, which hosted the camp for over two weeks. In a touching Facebook post, Gopinath Parayil – a volunteer– shared a photograph of a tidy floor. “This is how the displaced people left behind one of the fourth floor rooms where 1,200 people stayed in the Kongorpilly Govt Higher Secondary school,” according to the post.
The last batch of residents who left the camp volunteered the cleaning activities as a payback to their 'second home,' which provided them food and relief during the hard times.
“This place was home for me for last four days. How can I leave it dirty ? We keep our home clean right? a resident told Gopinath when asked about the cleaning activity.
