End of Flood Diary: Salute the local heroes who became saviour during this crisis, writes Moumita Gupta

Aug. 8: Since Thursday (23 June, 2022), the fourth day of flood, we were much fortunate to receive various relief items which were distributed by many individuals, NGO’s, clubs and organisations. All these days, we had two main tasks. At night, we all used to be awake to guard against “gang of robbers”. From around 10 in the morning, we used to go near the main gate of our building and wait to get relief materials, primarily, water.

On Thursday, suddenly a boat came near our building. A man from the boat was calling the name of my husband. Immediately, both of us rushed there. The water level in the main street at Public School Road by then had receded to 5 feet from erstwhile 6 feet height. One of the friends of my cousin sister who resides in Mumbai (Puja Gupta) had sent a case full of water through an NGO for us. Similarly, next day, that is, on Friday, one of my Dada, Tamal Kanti Banik also sent for us two full cases of drinking water. Also, the following day, 8 litres of water bottles, bread, biscuit were sent to us by our family friend Madhumita Paul Ghosh Didi and her husband. Dilu Das from New Silchar Chhatra Yuva Sangstha, Tuhina Biswas Didi on behalf of Lions Club, Milaap NGO and many others gave drinking water and other edibles. We also got Amul Tazaa milk, candles, match box from some other NGOs as well as from the administration since Friday. Moreover, Chandan Roy Dada of our flat also gave us a 5 litres Bisleri can.

So by then, we had a huge stock of drinking water. We then distributed many water bottles to other residents of our building. That night too, it was raining since 2 PM. My husband, once again went up to the terrace, took bath in the rain and filled up atleast 4 buckets of water. But from Friday onwards, there was no rain and gradually once again, our stock of water for using in the bathroom started to decrease.

But what was more remarkable and noteworthy in this entire episode of the devastating flood was the help and cooperation we all received from the youngsters of our locality. They tied a rope from our building to the lane opposite to us. As the current in the water was too strong, these youths used to cross the road with the help of the rope and delivered us essential items. We used to give them lists of item which we required and these saviours used to purchase them from the market and delivered them. When the administration was nowhere to come to our aid, these local youths without any life jacket or boat used to help us in all possible ways, sometimes risking their own lives. Salute to them.

On Saturday, these local boys also took our mobile phones and got them charged. Though the network was extremely poor, yet at night, we used to go to our terrace and from there we were able to make some calls. That night, somehow my husband managed to call his colleague ‘Rajada’ (Arunabha Bhattacharjee), who stays at Ambicapatty. Flood water by then had receded from their area. He asked us to shift to his home. We also made up our mind to shift the next day, that is, on Sunday. We had no other option but to take this decision because though we had enough drinking water, but by Saturday night, we were left with only 1 bucket of water for using in the bathroom.

Also Read: Flood Diary II: All hopes of getting rescued evaporated; we were left out with only 4 lts of water, writes Moumita Gupta

The next morning, we started packing a few clothes in a bag and at around 12 in the noon we went downstairs near the main gate of our building. Water till then was almost the waist level in the road. And again, it was the local heroes, the youths of our area who were ready to help us to cross the road with the help of rope. At first, they took Taan in their lap and took him to the other side of the road. Then one by one they helped me and my husband to cross the road. Till then, it was not possible to walk through the main street of Public School Road. There was a short cut way through a house in the lane opposite our building from where we reached Radhamadhab Road (Bilpar).

Also Read: Flood Diary II: All hopes of getting rescued evaporated; we were left out with only 4 lts of water, writes Moumita Gupta

While, we three were walking through the street, an unexplainable feeling overpowered us. The feeling of walking out of the water logged Public School Road, the feeling of sorrow for not being helped by any life boat engaged by the government in the town and the positive feeling of being helped by the youngsters of our area.

When we reached the house of Rajada at Ambicapatty and sat in his drawing room beneath ceiling fan, it was an ecstatic feeling. Taking bath properly after so many days under a shower was another feel good factor for us. Rajada’s house became our address for a full week. Water receded from Public School Road by 2nd of August. It was almost 5th of August for the electricity supply to be normalised.

Also Read: Flood Diary III: From bad to worst, we were proceeding towards uncertainty, writes Moumita Gupta

Every cloud has a silver lining. This devastating flood opened up new vistas. The floods taught us that humanity in human beings is still alive. It made us to recognise the good Samaritans of our society. The local youths about whom none had high impression in normal times were the one’s who turned out to be God-sent Angels. When skilled NDRF & other trained saviours didn’t come to our rescue at Public School Road, these unskilled local youths helped us. Thumbs up to you my younger brothers…. The flood taught us that at times of crisis, more than money & political power, it was the power of love, which can win hearts and save human beings from the mouth of death…

The End……

Also Read: Flood Diary IV: Air dropping went in vain; the entire night we collected rain water, writes Moumita Gupta