THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A month after the deluge, nothing much seems to have changed in Aranmula. It is hard to step out without a face mask as dust from caked mud deposited by floodwaters is still in the air.The initial enthusiasm shown by Aranmula residents to save palliyodams damaged during the floods has waned, as they are struggling to repair damaged houses. The dairy sector was the worst hit with around 40 households losing their cattle in the floods. “We lost five cows and that was our only source of livelihood,’’ said Suresh Kumar.The availability of drinking water supply is still a major issue despite the wells being cleaned and chlorinated. “Majority of households still buy bottled water as they fear the water is contaminated,’’ said Hari S, a flood-victim. For shop owners, who lost their stock in the flood, it is a double blow: they must bear the brunt of the losses and raise capital for fresh stock.“We are in a tight spot as people in debt do not want to buy,’’ said Yesudas, owner of Biju Textiles. The Aranmula mirror making handicraft sector is yet to be revived as 22 artisanal families have not been able to make their workshops functional. “We are yet to receive help from the government for starting our workshop, though a few individuals came forward to help us financially,’’ said Selvaraj, an artisan.An initial estimate by the artisan society showed they suffered a business loss of around Rs 1.5 crore. For artists like Kalamadalam Sridevi who runs a 32-year-old dance and music school close to the Parthasarathy temple, art has taken a back seat. “We want to rebuild Aranmula and I pray that people and the government come together to realise it,’’ she said.

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