Kerala's floods derail painstaking comeback of Ranni trader battling cancer

When the floodwaters receded in 2018, Aby Stephen of Idacheril in Thottamon, a local trader, was left with businesses in ruins and mounting debts. Eight years later, as he battles cancer, another flood has washed away the comeback he had painstakingly built.

The latest deluge has inundated the fancy store he runs near M S High School in Ranni. Opened after the 2018 floods forced him to shut down the seven businesses he once owned, the modest shop represented Aby's attempt to rebuild his life.

His footwear shop, furniture mart, textile store, bakery and other establishments near the Perumpuzha bus stand in Ranni were among those devastated in the 2018 floods. Aby estimates his losses from that disaster at more than ₹5 crore, a financial blow from which he never fully recovered.

With no other means of livelihood, Aby rebuilt his life from scratch by opening a small fancy store that kept his family afloat. But the floods this year have once again undone years of struggle. He is yet to reopen the flood-ravaged store or assess the extent of the damage.

His battle for compensation has been almost as arduous as his struggle to rebuild his life. In the aftermath of the 2018 floods, Aby and his family staged sit-in protests outside the Ranni Taluk Office and later in front of the Mini Civil Station, seeking compensation for their losses. The issue eventually found its way to the Kerala Assembly, where it was raised by the then Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala.

Though the government later announced a compensation package, no relief reached him. Following a directive from the High Court, the government later assessed his losses at ₹2 crore, but the amount is yet to be disbursed.

As he battles cancer, shoulders more flood losses and cares for his differently abled son, Aby is once again pinning his hopes on the government delivering the compensation he has been waiting for since the 2018 floods.