THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Teenage sisters Vimala and Veni have been spending sleepless nights under their thatched roof for 48 hours as waves kept on dashing against their house from one side. Finally on Tuesday morning, their house caved in and waves snatched almost everything their physically challenged teetotaller father earned by fishing.
Dozens of homes located on the first row close to the beach at Valiyathura had collapsed in recent times. Rehabilitation centre at Valiyathura UP School has been fully occupied for some time. Making matter worse, on Monday night, waves completely destroyed four houses on second row and around 30 have suffered severe damages and are at a risk of collapse.
“Go and see, it has been just 10 seconds since my house was reduced to rubbles,” said Joseph V. Silva Mary, a homemaker, lost her home for a second time in a decade on Tuesday. “Last time, when Anthony Raju was an MLA, our house was lost and we didn’t get a single penny for our losses. So we took a loan and constructed a new concrete house that also is gone now. I lost almirah with my valuables,” Ms Mary took a pause as she broke down.
After being distracted by a spat that erupted between ladies seeking refuge in a shed, she continued. “Before, two days, the electricity went off as the fury of sea knocked two electric posts near our houses. We went to politicians telling they should dump some boulders and strengthened the seawalls but no one helped and they were busy with elections,” she said.
After sobbing in the rain for hours, finally, around 20 people who lost homes laid a siege at Valiyathura Junction to attract the attention of officialdom. Relocation a pipe dream Two-acre land from Muttathara sewage farm premises has been acquired in early 2014 to relocate 60 families who live close to sea erosion prone Valiyathura.
However, the government had not constructed a new abode. Every year, during the first week of their displacement, the families are given rice, chilly powder and eight packets of milk as ration. Eventually, it stops and families have to survive on the profit from fish that men catch braving rough seas.
