PANAJI
Stranded in his hostel with 200 other students, Shailesh Kamat, a Goan studying in the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, a business school in flood-hit Kalamassery area in Kochi city in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, is longing to return to his worried family, but with flights suspended till August 26, 2 pm, he cannot make the journey to Goa.
Shailesh is the only Goan among 200 students in his hostel. He is finding it difficult to find his way home as train tracks as well as major roads are submerged under water. Even the road connecting his hostel to the main road remains submerged.
Shailesh was happy to see the sun shining on Saturday evening (August 18) after a prolonged week of cloudy weather and rains. “I was in contact with my family in Goa, all the time. My mother panicked a bit after reading newspaper reports, but I told her we were safe,” Shailesh, who is studying in Kochi since June 2017, said.
“River Periyar flows through Aluva town which is about 10 km away from our college. The excessive rain and opening of Idukki dam after that was the main cause of flooding. In case the dam had to break, the damages would be 10 times more,” explains Shailesh, who is still stranded in his hostel.
There was continuous water supply but he had purchased two 20-litre cans on Aug 13 seeing the water level rise. “On August 15 there was water around the college premises, but we went ahead with the flag-hoisting ceremony. The situation worsened as night advanced. Aluva was completely under water. The airport, which is 12 kms on the other side of the Periyar river was submerged too. A Shiva temple on the banks of Periyar was not visible during the flood,” narrates Shailesh, adding “Thrissur, Ernakulam Alappuzha, Malappuram were the worst affected districts among the 14. Ours (Ernakulam) is one of these four.”
There was consistent rain on August 16 and 17. From August 16 onwards there were at least three helicopters passing over his hostel every hour going towards Aluva on the banks of the river to Nedumbaserry airport.
As Shailesh’s college is on a slope, no water entered the premises but the only road connecting to the main road was flooded to three meters height. From the top of his hostel terrace he could see the flooding.
“There was enough stock of food and water for three days, but we ate whatever the canteen served and not demand anything from the menu for the day. Later a road was carved by authorities connecting us to the main road and food supplies were restored. That doesn’t mean we get everything. Due to the flood the markets are closed and there is less supply of raw food items,” he said.
If one has to go to North, he has to cross Aluva but the road and rail bridge both are under water. At some places the water level is so high that the bridge cannot be seen. “All the government schools and colleges have been converted into relief camps. Our college boys also helped in relief work,” he said.
Shailesh said he witnessed people making boats using banana logs to go to safer places. There is no electricity for four days and the boys’ hostel is running on generators that too for limited hours per day, he added.
“There is mobile network but power supply is just for five hours during which time we have to charge our phones. We have been inside for the last three days as the management is responsible if anything happens to a student, therefore we are not allowed to go out. Since I have a car I helped the director get food supplies and diesel for the generator,” said Shailesh.
Before August 15, he volunteered at collection centres (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium) where materials like dhoti, buckets, nighties, soaps, all necessary stuff arrived. He helped in sorting and dispatching them to severely affected places. Post-floods, he and his friends are helping by providing food in relief camps. The rains have stopped now. Thankfully, there was no casualty in the hostel, all are safe.
