Living Amid The Fengal Remnants Of Viluppuram Where Hope Meets Despair

Standing in the midst of a village washed away, ETV Bharat team heard the sounds of crushing pain that has seared through post Cyclone Fengal

Viluppuram: While some have lost clothes, furniture, and cooking utensils, many are shattered after they saw their cattle dying in the sheds they were tied in. Tanushree, a fourth grader, is inconsolable after she saw her textbooks swept away. Houses razed, streets flooded and livelihoods at stake, villagers of Vilupura district, have lost the zeal to live. The only ray of hope to them are stories of resilience where people turn messiahs, save lives and give them strength to withstand the aftereffects of a devastating cyclone and floods.

In Arakandanallur village, stagnant water where the bodies of cattle lay rotting, unrecovered, many families continue to survive. All that the affected are clinging to - are help from the most unlikely quarters - like the painter of Devanur village, who risked his life to save another - an infant who was on the brink of near death as water levels peaked.

As Cyclone Fengal’s floodwaters surged on the fateful day, chaos prevailed in Devanur. But in the melee, the cries of a three-month-old baby trapped in a flooded house pierced the air, sending waves of panic through the villagers. With no boats and the water rising alarmingly, the villagers could only watch helplessly from their rooftops. Just when hope seemed lost, Arumugam, a 26-year-old painter was nothing less than god-send; he saved the child and made people realise that all is not lost.

Arumugam, known for painting temple murals says, “I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. That baby’s cries stayed in my heart. I tied a rope tied around my waist and an old aluminum vessel in hands, I ventured into the swirling waters. The current was strong, the debris treacherous, and each step seemed like a battle against nature itself."

Reaching the house, he found the baby crying in a corner, its small frame shivering from the cold and fear. Arumugam carefully placed the infant in the vessel, wrapping it in a piece of dry cloth he carried. The journey back was even more perilous, with the baby’s life in his hands.

The villagers watched with bated breath as he waded through the muddy, waist-deep water, and swam to safety. The baby’s mother collapsed at Arumugam’s feet, sobbing, “You’ve given me back my world.”

For Arumugam, the recognition felt overwhelming. “I’m just an ordinary man,” he said, his hands still shaking. “But that child deserved a chance to live. Anyone would have done the same.” For Arumugam, the greatest reward was seeing the baby smile again.

Just 40 kilometers away in Arakandanallur, the story is one of irreparable loss. More than 100 houses were swept away as the swollen Kothai River and Malattaru overflowed due to excess water from the Thenpennai River. Villagers protested on the roads, demanding, “The minister should come, the collector should come,” their anger and despair evident. Though officials assured them of support, the scars of the disaster run deep.

For Govindamma, a resident, the flood robbed her of her livelihood. “I lost four cows in the flood. We couldn’t even recover their bodies. These cows were our life,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

Tanushree, whose only hope were her books and notebooks, recalls escaping to her rooftop as the waters rose at midnight. “All my books were washed away,” she said, her voice trembling. Families went without food and water for two days, left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Rajamma, another resident, lamented the loss of her new house. “We moved in just three months ago. Everything is gone. We stood on our terrace in the rain, shouting for help and saw everything crashing down,” she says.

Government help less and late

According to the Tamil Nadu government, relief camps have been set up for 4,906 people in Viluppuram district, providing food and essentials. Yet, many families remain in dire need. The official count lists 132 houses as completely destroyed and 728 partially damaged.

In Arakandanallur, villagers argue that the government’s response has been inadequate. “While Rs 10 lakh is announced for victims of illicit liquor, only Rs 2,000 has been given to flood-affected families. How is this fair?” asked Rajamma, echoing the frustration of many.

“The flood in 1972 was worse, but back then, the water receded quickly. Now, due to more houses, the water lingers, and the damage is greater,” said Ramachandran, an elderly villager.

Video footage from neighboring Iruvelpattu captured the frustration of villagers pelting mud at Forest Minister Ponmudi and District Collector Palani during their visit. While some allege political motivations behind the act, the emotions, people say, are a cry for attention, action, and justice.

The other villages in the region like Thiruvennainallur, Arasur, and near the Varaki Amman temple, have also been ravaged by the floods.

Against the cries from Arakandanallur serving as a stark reminder of the human cost of such disasters, people get up to gather shreds of life, and the only thing that gives them strength are stories like Arumugam’s.