Areas of Changannur still remain cut off

Alappuzha: Interior Chengannur still seems to be off limits to rescue operations, reports say.

However, situations in other flood-hit areas have improved as water started receding, and also because of let up in the rain.

Sources say that people still remain trapped at places in Changannur, the worst-hit area in the natural calamity.

Chances of not having enough supply of water and food are very high. A new problem has cropped up with water receding: larger boats cannot be plied in rescue operations. Authorities have to rope in smaller ones to reach out trapped people.

Just as rescue operation continued late into Sunday evening, thousands still remained trapped in their homes. According to reports in Madhyamam Daily, several remoter areas still remain cut off engulfed in water.

Those trapped in their homes refused to be moved to relief camps; as a result, providing them food was the major priority of rescue operations. Bringing food to large number of people has become a challenge to rescuers.

Authorities refused to accept unconfirmed reports of deaths in remoter areas off limited to recuse operations.

Fishermen are at the forefront of rescue operations here. About hundred fishermen in as many as 50 boats work round the clock saving people.

Chopper whiz in the skies carrying people to relief camps. Military personnel have reached in the area.

Those with double-storey homes are staying upstairs. Their relatives living outside the state are clamouring for rescuing them. Rescue teams identify their homes based on inputs from these expatriate relatives.

When found, these trapped people refuse to accompany rescuers to safety, Madhyamam Daily quoted rescuers as saying. They just want food rather than being shifted to camps.