Kasaragod: With mud-caked furniture piled outside homes and residents still unable to return, flood-hit Palavayal in East Eleri panchayat is witnessing a massive community-led clean-up effort.

Volunteers from across the political and social spectrum joined hands to help families recover from one of the worst flooding incidents the area has seen in recent memory.

Members of DYFI, Youth Congress, KCYM, Voice of Chittarikkal and the Lions Club, along with residents, have been cleaning flood-damaged houses, clearing debris and helping restore normalcy in the village after the Cherupuzha river breached its banks on Saturday, inundating low-lying residential areas.

According to East Eleri grama panchayat vice-president Joseph Mutholi, floodwaters entered 17 houses in Palavayal, two of which were unoccupied. The remaining 15 affected families are yet to return home and are staying with relatives. "Cleaning and restoration work is progressing, but it is likely to take at least a week before many families can move back into their homes. The floodwaters brought large amounts of mud, debris and waste into the houses, making the task extremely difficult," Mutholi said.

Two days after the water receded, the affected homes remain uninhabitable. Tiled floors are coated with layers of mud, a foul odour hangs in the air and flood-damaged household items are being dragged outside for cleaning or disposal.

Residents who returned during the day to clean their homes say that refrigerators, washing machines, utensils, and other household appliances were submerged in muddy water. Many of them have been damaged beyond repair. Sofas, mattresses and wooden furniture remain soaked, while snakes and other reptiles have been spotted in several houses.

Elderly residents said they have never witnessed floodwaters entering homes, not even during the early years of settlement in the region. "We only heard stories from relatives in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta about the floods of 2018 and 2019," said Eliyamma, who's in her 80s. Residents said a flood about 45 years ago had damaged a pillar of the Cherupuzha bridge, but the water had stopped short of entering homes.

The flooding in Palavayal occurred on Saturday, August 1, after the Cherupuzha river breached its banks following intense rainfall for five days. While Palavayal residents have largely taken shelter with relatives, relief camps continue to function elsewhere in the panchayat. Mutholi said two camps are operating in East Eleri. The largest is at Government High School in Thayyeni, where 58 people, mostly from tribal settlements, are staying after three landslides struck the area on Saturday. Another temporary camp has been set up at a house in Munayamkunnu, where 15 people are being accommodated.

As recovery efforts continue, volunteers are also helping clear roads damaged by landslides and flash floods, remove mud deposited on bridges and cut and remove uprooted trees. Teams have been working throughout the day to clear accumulated debris, waste and silt from public spaces and residential areas.

A team from St John's Church at Palavayal, led by parish priest Fr Jose Manikkathazhe, visited all affected households and distributed food kits and other essential supplies. Panchayat President Mercy Mani, Mutholi, and other elected representatives also visited the flood-hit families.

To be sure, rain continued to batter East Eleri in Kasaragod and Kannur's Cherupuzha panchayat across the river on Monday, keeping residents on edge.