40 persons ran to survive amidst landslides, floods
‘Made’ residents climb kilometers of hills and plain land
- Team comprises 40-day-old baby, pregnant lady and elders
- Four youth lend helping hand
- ‘We’re happy that it was helicopter sound, but it was sound of landslide’
Madikeri, August 28: “It’s just a ten minutes walk from our house to Madikeri-Mangaluru main road. A stream is flowing along the road. Two bridges constructed across the stream were washed away in flood water. As a result, we have lost the only road to the village. Right in front of our eyes, the hills were sliding one after another like tippers dumping the sand. To save our lives, around 40 people including 40-day-old child, pregnant woman, children, women and 80-year-old aged person walked for kilometers crossing the hills, plains and streams to reach the relief camp”.
This is how MB Fayaz of Hodavada village in Madikeri taluk, who is studying his second B-Com in FMKMC College, explained the harrowing experiences of his family members and neighbours to save their lives amidst floods and landslides. They were settled in the relief camp at Darul Uloom Sunni Madrasa of Old Jumma Masjid.
MB Fayaz
“Our village is Made in Second Monnangeri in the taluk. On August 16 at 2 am, when the cliff behind our grandmother’s house collapsed, the house developed cracks and the flood water started gushing into the house. At this time, three persons who were sleeping inside the house escaped unhurt. Due to continuous rainfall, there was no light. As the water pipes were broken due to landslides, there was no drinking water to drink. There was no mobile network to call anyone. On August 17 morning, the land has developed cracks in several places and the walls of the houses also. Even the concretised road was also cracked. It was raining heavily. Streams and rivers were in overflowing. When the rain intensified, the two bridges constructed across the stream were collapsed and washed away in the flood water. Literally, we did not have any roads to go out of our village and we were worried”, he said.
“After some time, the hills were started to collapse in other places. Right in front of our eyes, our grandmother’s house was completely damaged in the landslide. We realized the danger of staying in the place and packed our luggage. As the two bridges were collapsed, it was impossible to reach the main road. Later, we have decided to reach Galibeedu village which is just opposite side of our village by climbing the hill range. It was not an easy task for us. We had with us total 40 members including 40-days-old baby and its mother, one-and-half-year-old child, 8 children below six years of age and five aged persons”, he explained.
“It was raining heavily and aged and children were finding it difficult to climb the hills as the soil was loose and slippery. When we reached little-bit elevated place, we got mobile network. Suddenly, we got the helicopter number from a police officer and called them for help. But the helicopter authorities denied to come as there was rough weather and they could not find which is village and which is hill range and disconnected the phone. Later, we called the army people who asked us to come to the main road. But we did not have the bridges to go to main road”, he recalled.
“Again we started to climb the hills. In spite of heavy rains, we travelled almost 4-5 kilometres with heavy backpacks and stopped at one point to remove the leeches from the legs. There was a stream before us. When we were removing the leeches, we heard a sound and we thought it was the sound of helicopter in front of us. But it was not the helicopter sound. Instead, it was the sound of landslide. At that moment, we had lost hope of our lives. Women and children were crying. But the mud came out of landslide did not come to us as it was washed away in the flood water and we were relieved. As the hill was collapsed, we returned to the place we have started our journey instead of crossing the stream”, he added.
“From there, we have crossed another stream and walked around four km. At this moment, we have confronted known persons Baranna, Dinesh, Nanda and Chethan who helped us to climb down the hill and cross a stream to reach a road. When we turned back, the hill we have climbed down also collapsed and the mud spread like a plain land. Later, we have crossed a small bridge on which the flood water was gushing forcefully. As we have passed some distance, we heard the noise of the collapse of that bridge”, he said.
“When we went forward, we found a home-stay where there were some people. They have given us some water. With the help of those four youth, we have crossed the plantation. At this moment, Chethan carried the 4-day-old child, while Sanjay carried the heavy luggage. They have the target of taking us to safe place Belaku Mani school. Finally, we have reached the school safely. We witnessed a road was sinking right in front of us. Later, we were taken to the relief camp in jeep”, he said.
“We have set out from our place at 9 am and reached the Belaku Mani School at 6.30 pm. From there, we were taken to the relief camp at 9 pm. To survive from the flood and landslide, we have travelled kilometers climbing the hills and crossing the rivers. Really, it was a great escape. We could not forget it in our life. Our homes and fertile coffee plantations were devastated in the nature’s fury. As we know, there were 194 houses around our village and among them, around 100 houses were disappeared and remaining houses are not fit to live. We don’t know where the government would provide us the place to live in”, said Fayaz.
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“Full prepared..going to win,” Congress MP KC Venugopal ahead of Kerala polls
EC not functioning as a neutral institution: Venugopal
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal on Monday raised concerns over the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election, questioning the timing of the poll dates and alleging that the schedule leaves limited time for campaigning.
Speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi after the poll panel announced elections in five states and Union Territories, Venugopal said that the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are fully prepared for the elections and confident of victory. At the same time, he questioned the pattern of dates announced by the Election Commission.
“We are fully prepared, we are going to win the elections... You can see how the Election Commission has set the dates. The first phase of elections is on the 9th, nominations are due until the 23rd, scrutiny is on the 24th, nominations can be withdrawn until the 26th, and after that, there are 11 days for campaigning,” he said.
“As for Kerala, there is Easter and Good Friday in the first week...The Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier... The counting date is on May 4th, so what was the point of holding elections in Kerala so early? What is their intention behind holding elections on the same day in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam?... We are confident that we will win, but the people of the country are seeing the biased attitude of the Election Commission...,” he added.
He further stated that his party was ready for elections irrespective of the dates announced by the poll body.
“We are going to win the election. India's strategy has been set up. And we are all ready for winning this election. But one thing as far as declaring election, even though they are giving only for five days, we are going to win the election. We have no problem,” he said.
Detailing the poll schedule while questioning the time available for campaigning, he stated, “but you can see the pattern of date which the election commission announced. Yesterday they declared election, and today they notified us. The first phase of election on April 9th, filing of nomination will be over on the 23rd of this month, 24th scrutiny, 26th withdrawal of nomination. After 26, four plus seven, 11 days campaign.”
“As far as Kerala is concerned, April first week is a holy week. The holiday week means, Good Friday is there. Nobody will do anything on Good Friday. Easter is the big festival. These festivals are natural, you have to see that. Among the 11 days, working days, two, three days will go for holidays. Then hardly seven, eight days for campaigning in this election for candidates,” the Congress MP questioned.
The Congress leader said the Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier if there was a need for an early election schedule.
Questioning the urgency behind placing Kerala in the first phase of polling, he added that the counting date is much later.
“Which is the date of counting? Fourth May. Then what is the urgency of putting Kerala in the first phase without giving sufficient time for candidates? And putting Kerala, Puducherry, Assam together, what is the intention behind that?” Venugopal questioned.
He also alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning as a neutral institution.
“The Election commission is completely losing that capacity as a neutral player. You can see 14 of our prime minister's programs over and on the 15th they announce the election, 16th notification comes,” he said.
Venugopal further stated that such tactics would not affect the Congress’ prospects in the election.
“They think that this type of techniques and tactics, because of these techniques and tactics, UDF is going to lose, and Congress is going to lose. This is their complete dream only. This is not going to happen. We are very much confident at any cost, whether they are not giving any time also, we are going to win the election,” he said.
“But the people of India are watching this. The tricks of the election commission. To restrict the campaign, people of India are watching. This I want to bring into the notice of the nation. That's all,” Venugopal said.
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly election. Polling in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9 while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
