Chengannur: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Many people of Edanadu, a riverine village near Chengannur, might not have heard of it but that is exactly what they did as floodwaters surrounded their land, sinking houses and spreading panic recently.
A group of men in the village faced the raging floodwaters head-on as they brought at least 15 people to the shores of safety. Their rescue equipment – a long piece of rope and a big copper vessel (Vaarppu).
Aniyankunj, Aniyan, Sunil, Abhilash, Nithin, Mobin Renjith , Reghu and Madhu, who make a living by doing odd jobs, have turned the local heroes for the people living along the Adi Pamba river which was overflowing as Kerala witnessed the deluge that claimed hundreds of lives across the state.
The team had neither any safety equipment nor expertise in what they did – braving floods and saving lives. Their modus operandi was to collect pieces of ropes used for fetching water from wells. They tied them to make it long enough. One of them entered the water holding one end of the rope and tied it to the nearest tree. From there they swam to the next tree and to the next until they reached the targets – people in need. The people were made to sit in the 'vaarppu' and brought to safety along the “rope way” as rescuers accompanied them, swimming.
“It all seem unimaginable now. As we stand by the river from which floodwaters have almost receded now, fear grips us,” said Satheesh, a carpenter who was part of the rescue mission.
Those whom the team rescued included a nine-month pregnant woman and five children. “One of the men whom we rescued was standing neck-deep in water for two days. He survived only because he got hold of one portion of the kitchen door,” said Sunil.
They also rescued a former chief priest at the Malikappuram shrine at Sabarimala.
“Many people in the area survived because of them only. The Navy and other rescuers came much later,” said a woman as she came back from Edanadu junction where the National Disaster Rescue Force had just delivered some food articles.
Chengannur, surrounded by three rivers – Pamba, Manimala and Adi Pamba – was one of the worst affected areas. Thousands of people are still staying in relief camps here.
