Hundreds of fishermen rushed to inundated areas across Kerala with their boats.
After unrelenting rain over the last two weeks made it a worse monsoon for Kerala in a century killing at least 200 and displacing over 10 lakh, fishermen have turned out to be saviours and unsung heroes. They were the first to respond to the crisis. Hundreds of fishermen rushed to inundated areas -- Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts -- with their boats.
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The fishermen were roped in by the government as shutters to dams in the state had to be opened when water levels reached the maximum capacity.
"They went to places where other people or even the forces conducting rescue operations could not go," one of the locals said.
The fishermen started around 6 am, rowed through the day and returned late in the evening. "They packed food for the marooned men and women, brought them out of buildings and fed them," another local said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appreciated their efforts. Union minister KJ Alphons called them the "biggest heroes". The state government has decided to pay Rs 3,000 per day for their work and an additional amount for any damage to their boats. But some of the fishermen have refused to accept the money.
"We are happy to hear the kind words of praise from the Chief Minister. But we don't want money for saving lives," said Khais Mohammed from Fort Kochi.