Thrissur (Kerala): Kerala has been hit by the one of the worst floods in its recent history, leading to more than 400 deaths, over ten lakh people being forced out of their homes, and damages tentatively estimated at Rs 20,000 crore. The floods began in the month of July, but intensified greatly in the last couple of weeks.
Between August 14 and 21, nearly all of the 14 districts of Kerala experienced difficulties related to excessive rainfall. At one point, many districts were totally isolated from the rest of the state due to submerged railways and roads. This meant that the normal flow of supplies into the state was disrupted, leading to shortages in many temporary shelters that had popped up to accommodate the displaced people. The situation was compounded by forced power outages.
To overcome the impossibility of a centralised distribution system thanks to the disconnect between places, local groups voluntarily took up the responsibility of delivering basic necessities to nearby camps. These groups communicated with each other via phones and social media, leading to quite an efficient chain of information and supply. Rice, drinking water, pulses, bread, biscuits, clothes, mats, bedspreads, soaps, medicines, sanitary napkins and other necessities were procured from a massive number of donors and delivered to shelters according to their needs.
Many villages were cut off from nearby towns due to flooded paths. The roads to such villages were closely monitored by volunteers and the police, and supplies were sent via lorries as soon as the water had receded enough. I accompanied one such lorry on a trip from a supplies collection centre in the town of Thrissur, to temporary shelters in Anthikad, Chazhoor, Alappad and Thriprayar. The camps hosted anywhere between a few hundred to a couple of thousand people. A medical team and a few volunteers (including the driver) also undertook the journey.
People waiting to cross a flooded section of a road.
Lorries and buses are the only road vehicles available for many to travel across flood-hit regions. Many buses had to stop their service, leading to people relying on lorries.
Roads cutting across fields that have been completely submerged.
Supplies being delivered at a relief camp for flood victims. Many schools and colleges were turned into relief camps.
Queue for food at a relief camp. Clothes hung to dry along the corridors of the building in the background. Clothes are part of the supplies that are donated to camps, since many affected could not even carry a single pair of clothes before they left their homes.
Women often have to wear nightdresses during the day as well, depending on the types of clothes that reach the camp.
An empty floor in a shopping complex has been converted into a temporary shelter.
Supplies stocked at a camp. Most of the packages are makeshift, and contain an assortment of goods from various sources.
People waiting for transport, even as shops remained closed and economic activities take a hit.
A flooded road, with a collapsed building.
All photos by Arjun Ramachandran.
Arjun Ramachandran is a photographer based in Thrissur, Kerala.