Gopikuttan, a 65-year-old farmer, experienced heartbreak as his cherished home, filled with the memories of his late wife, was devastated by flash floods that wreaked havoc in Kuttanad almost four months ago.
In the aftermath of the bund-breach disaster, Gopikuttan initially found refuge in shelters offered by kind neighbors. From there, he could gaze daily at the house he and his wife had built with their life savings, a place filled with their shared history. However, he was later compelled to leave Kainakary village due to the insistence of his two daughters, Shari and Sharika, both of whom were married.
The resilient farmer has since returned to the island surrounded by paddy fields and has even rented a nearby house. He is determined to spend the rest of his days there, cherishing the memories of his departed wife. However, he is faced with uncertainty about how to meet the costs of rent and other expenses.
All this unfolds as the authorities have made little progress in fulfilling their promise to provide him with new land and a house near his ruined residence, despite the passing of several months. Gopikuttan clings to the dream of rebuilding his damaged house, even if it’s just a single room and a kitchen.
“I wish to live in that house itself. Just a single room will do. But it will cost a minimum of Rs 1.5 lakh to first pull down the debris and construct the minimum housing facility. But the officials and the farmers here are saying the same is not possible, as there lies the risk of a bund-breach in the future as well,” Gopikuttan laments.
Former district collector Haritha V Kumar visited the site on July 10 and promised to rehabilitate him, assigning new land and a house nearby. However, Gopikuttan is disheartened by the fact that this promise now seems distant.
“The officials have come here just once after that. I went to the office and was told that the whole process would take two years. I can’t live at my daughters’ houses anymore and want to be here. So I’m moving out to a rented house near my home tomorrow itself,” he shared.
Along with his house, nearly ten cents of land were swept away in the flash floods. The night of July 8 witnessed the forceful entry of water, resulting in the complete destruction of the house. The bund breach occurred in Cherukayal paddy fields, the largest in the region, inundating six other paddy fields nearby and affecting at least 250 families.
The couple managed to construct a small house 15 years ago but faced recurring flood threats every monsoon. To combat these challenges, they added an upper floor to the house using their savings, even resorting to pawning gold. Tragically, Gopikuttan’s wife passed away during this construction phase.
“My wife succumbed to kidney disease on December 4, 2021. I tried my best to save her life and did nine dialysis sessions. However, she breathed her last when we rushed her for another dialysis after her condition worsened. My wife always used to tell me that we won’t need to go to our daughters’ place and that we will stay in this house only,” he recalled, reminiscing about their shared history.
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