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Flood Diary III: From bad to worst, we were proceeding towards uncertainty, writes Moumita Gupta
Part-3
Aug. 5: It was around 7 in the evening on Tuesday, the 21 June, 2022. The water level in our area was steady since yesterday. All of us went to the terrace. My son Taan started to play over there with the other children of our building. Though it was dark, yet it was much better to pass time on the terrace then inside our flat. The sound of water flowing in the street can be heard even from the 4th floor.
Since today afternoon, the mobile connectivity in our area became very worst. We were unable to make any calls. But now when we were in the terrace, we were lucky enough to see network available in our mobile. Everybody were trying to make phone calls from the terrace. Even to certain extent, we could find internet connectivity in our Jio sim. I was able to call some of my relatives and friends. Everywhere there was crisis of drinking water in Silchar.
Meanwhile, two other residents of our building called my husband and gave 3 litres of drinking water. At this hour of crisis, 3 litres of drinking water seemed to be more precious than 3 grams of gold. I was just calculating in my mind that with this 3 litres, I now have a stock of 7 litres of drinking water with which we can pass almost another day. Never ever I thought that such a day will come when we will have to calculate and drink water.
Around 10 PM, we came from the terrace to our flat. Out of the stock of 5 small candles, I lighted one. Taan was feeling hungry. I thought that I would cook rice and boil potatoes (Alu Sidhho bhath). But Taan was insisting of eating noodles. Making noodles and then rice would require more utensils and as water was limited so it would be foolish to waste water for washing extra utensils. So instead of rice, three of us ate noodles that night.
Out of the 7 litres stock of drinking water, we drank 1 litre. So that means, we had only 6 litres of drinking water in our stock. But more than drinking water, at that moment, I was worried about water which I stored in 4 buckets yesterday for using in bathroom. Today, we had not even taken bath, but then also, almost 1 bucket of water was finished. While I was thinking all these, suddenly again I heard loud screams “Chor Chor” (Thieves Thieves) once again just like yesterday. Again, with a small torch which we had, we all went to our balcony.
By then, it was 11.30 PM. Taan was feeling sleepy, but was unable to sleep due to mosquitoes. The weather was too hot and humid. As we are in the top floor of the building, so naturally, we face more heat. I went to bed with Taan, while my husband sat at the balcony the whole night. At around, 3 AM, I woke up and asked my husband to sleep, but he preferred to sleep in the early morning. Survival was becoming more tough for us. Both of us drank another 1 litre of water at night.
Gradually, we were proceeding towards uncertainty. I was tensed. How can we survive? What will happen to us on Wednesday?
To be continued…….
