Support from government and banks a must for revival.
Kerala
Floods : The main day of this year's Onam falls on Saturday.
Though devastated by floods, Keralites will put on their happy faces
to welcome King Mahabali, the mythical, righteous king who must have
watched from netherworld the sufferings of his people and now 'comes
to visit them'.
This
festival falls on the tenth day from the day of Atham, during the
Malayalam month of Chingam. On this occasion, people dress in the
attire of Mahabali and take over the roads and shopping malls in
Kerala. Celebrations abound.
One
of the most popular sites during this time is Kuttanad, the rice bowl
of Kerala and one of the major Ramsar sites (wetlands which have
international importance). The snake boat races and greenery of
Kuttanad are huge attractions for tourists who flock there. This time
though, almost the entire Kuttanad is in relief camps, in Alappuzha
and Changanessery, as the flood waters, which have taken over their
agricultural lands, refuse to recede.
The
roads in Kuttanad, which are usually flanked by paddy fields in
various shades of green, are inundated by flood water. A few houses
dot the deluge.
The
disaster during this monsoon, starting early June, has claimed over
370 lives and affected over one million people in 13 out of the 14
districts in Kerala.
Relief
camps have popped up at several places.
"Almost
2,00,000 people have been rescued and there are 62 relief camps in
Alappuzha alone," said D Lakshmanan, Pallathuruthy Ward
Councelor. Lakshmanan is also leading the relief camp at Thiruvambadi
School where around 450 families are taking shelter. Most of them
were rescued by police, fire force, fishermen, and volunteers, while
the others, from the interiors, were airlifted.
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