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Flood Diary II: All hopes of getting rescued evaporated; we were left out with only 4 lts of water, writes Moumita Gupta
Part-2
Aug. 3: I was trying to sleep but Taan, my 11-year-old son was finding it very difficult to sleep without fan and amidst mosquito bite. I kept the windows of my bed room wide open in the hope that some breeze would come in, which would give little comfort to Taan. However, along with light wind, mosquitoes too found their way inside the room. Meanwhile, I did now know, when I went into deep sleep. But all of a sudden, I woke up hearing sound of loud screams coming from the nearby houses. My husband too woke up and both of us instantly rushed towards our balcony.
It was then that we could hear our neighbours screaming “Chor Chor” (that is, Thieves, thieves). Suddenly I realised that without knowing anything in details about the robbers, I and my husband too started to scream “Thieves, thieves” at the top of our voice. It was too dark and the time was 2 in the night. My husband raised his voice and asked, “Where are the thieves?” To this, we could hear a voice in the dark replying that the residents of a nearby building have seen around 8 to 10 persons sitting in a boat inside Public School Road.
This was indeed very surprising as at that time the water in our area was more than 6 feet and the pace at which the water was flowing was also alarming. And as I mentioned in the first episode of my Flood Diary that the sound of rushing flood water was similar to the sound of sea waves. By this time, I rang some of our neighbours and all of us decided not to sleep and rather remain awake to guard the entry of robbers inside the buildings. Meanwhile, people in our flat also woke up. At regular intervals, we too along with others would shout “Jagte Raho” (Stay awake) sitting in our balcony.
When it was 4.30 AM, it was almost dawn. I could see the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. It was then that both of us went to sleep. Finally, I woke up around 9 in the morning to find that the water in the tap of the bathroom was coming out slowly. It was not difficult for me to understand that the stored water in our overhead reservoir was coming to an end. I at once woke up my husband and son and asked them to brush their teeth and take bath immediately. I too hurried up inside the kitchen and finished cooking as fast as possible.
It was Tuesday, the 21 June, 2022, the 2nd day of our captive life during the devastating flood. By noon, I found that not a single drop of water was flowing from the tap. I had only four plastic buckets in which I stored water yesterday for using at bathroom. By that time my husband suddenly asked me to give him my mobile as there were some probable network issues in his handset. But the same happened in my mobile also. None of us were able to make any call. So literally, since Tuesday afternoon, we were engulfed in flood water without electricity, without water in our taps, without mobile network and with very little charge remaining in our invertor.
I had in my house only around 5 to 6 disposable plates in which we had our lunch. It was then that my husband pointed out that we have only 6 litres of drinking water left with us. It was indeed a shocking discovery. Meanwhile, I saw from my balcony that a few army men had entered our area in a mechanised boat. At once, I shouted at the top of my voice and said, “Please rescue us, please help us.” I had planned that if the men in uniform could somehow take us out, then we could seek accommodation in a hotel, where atleast we could get electricity. But the army men in that boat did not give any response.
At once, my husband rushed downstairs and went near the gate through water. MLA Silchar Dipayan Chakraborty was sitting in the middle of the boat along with around 6/7 BSF soldiers. The boat also had a few cartoons of water bottles. My husband at once requested the MLA to give water bottles. He then threw around 3 bottles, but unfortunately my husband could manage to catch only one half litre water bottle. Well, he probably consoled himself that something is better than nothing.
But that boat did not yield to my request of rescuing us. A little later another large mechanised wooden boat entered our area. BSF jawans could be seen in that boat. I at once rushed near the gate and made the same request to rescue us. But the jawans refused to stop there and said that we are atleast safe in the 4-storied building, but they are going to rescue some persons who were stranded near Shyamananda Ashram. Around a hour later, the same boat came back with around 10/12 civilians who got struck in flood. The jawans were finding very difficult to brave the rushing water. Suddenly, the boat after crossing our building capsized and everyone fell in the water and were carried away by the rushing water. Some of them somehow hanged on to light posts and the others were rescued from the water by the BSF jawans. It was indeed a very scary sight. Though all the jawans and the civilians who fell down from the boat were safe, but after this incident no rescue and relief boats entered our area.
I came back upstairs inside our flat and sent a WhatsApp to DC Cachar, Keerthi Jalli. In that message, I wrote, “Madam, please rescue us. Leave us in some safe place so that we could go to JC International Hotel.” I also gave my address. Within a short span, DC Mam replied, “Sister, I could understand your concern, but as there is too much current (speed) in the water at Public School Road, so rescue teams of NDRF could not be sent. Please stay safe wherever you are. We will definitely come for help once the current in the water subsides.
Soon my husband too tried to contact Magistrate Nabanita Hazarika and wrote her a WhatsApp message, “Mam plz rescue us from Public School Road. Flat just adjacent to School. Drinking water will be exhausted today. In very critical position. Plz help to come out.” The reply was almost similar to what DC Mam wrote to me. Magistrate Hazarika replied, “Sir public school road is completely inaccessible we tried innumerable times.”
At that moment, I lost all hope of coming out. I tried to reconcile with the situation. I could then understand that survival in the coming days would definitely be a tough task. By that time, it was dusk. We were left out with only 4 litres of drinking water and 5 small size candles.
To be continued……
