The deluge that ravaged north Bengal on October 5, leaving at least 33 dead, also showed the triumph of the human spirit.
Cops, civic volunteers and ordinary citizens displaying immense courage in rescuing people, including tourists and children.
The Telegraph meets three bravehearts from Alipurduar, who were among the seven felicitated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday — eight will be honoured by the administration later — for their courage during crisis.
Shouldering rescue
When floodwaters from the Torsha river surged across Salkumar-I in Alipurduar district, about 42km from Alipurduar town on October 5, civic volunteer Rakesh Karjee did not wait for orders.
“I received information around 8.50am on October 5 that 17 persons, including children, were stranded at a private resort near the riverbank,” Karjee, posted at Salkumar-I police station, recalled.
He rushed to the spot, a resort standing almost at the edge of the swelling river. “Water had gushed inside the resort campus and was already waist-deep. I, along with a few friends, waded through the water on the road, but we had to take a more difficult detour to reach the cottages,” he said.
Initially, the tourists from Calcutta at the cottage refused to leave, but Karjee persuaded them.
“I told them the water level could rise anytime and the situation might turn grave. Then they agreed. We helped them cross the water to reach the embankment. We carried the children and their luggage on our shoulders,” Karjee said.
By afternoon, all 17 tourists were safely evacuated.
But Karjee’s work did not end there.
“Around 11pm, I, along with police officers, went to another resort where nine tourists, including children, were trapped. A rhino had strayed close to the resort, adding to the danger. We managed to rescue all, along with their belongings, though the water was above our knees,” he said.
He had no rest, he smiled while recalling. The next morning, October 6, Karjee was deployed for wildlife management, as floodwaters had driven several animals out of the forests. “A rhino had even wandered into a school campus,” he said.
Proactive role
Civic volunteer Rajani Das showed exemplary courage at Dhantali Tapu, an island-like settlement surrounded by rivers under Kumargram police station limits, some 63km from Alipurduar town.
“We received an alert from Bhutan that excess water would be released from the Tala hydroelectric project into the Rydak river, which surrounds our village. The river was already swelling, and no one from the administration could reach us,” Das said.
Realising the urgency, he and a few friends took matters into their own hands to keep villagers safe.
“There are some 60 families in Dhantali Tapu. We started alerting everyone and maintained constant communication with Kumargram police station. We gathered all villagers in the primary school, prepared food for everyone,” he said.
There was no power, so Das arranged a generator to keep the shelter lighted.
“I spent the night without sleep, worried that if the water rose further, we’d have to shift everyone again,” he said. “Thankfully, it did not.”
Earning blessings
Dipankar Dey, a civil defence volunteer posted in Salkumar-I, one of the worst flood-hit areas, worked tirelessly during the October 5 deluge.
“After receiving the alert, we began evacuating people as instructed by our senior officials. Many people were rescued by boat. But rescuing the elderly and children was more tricky. Sometimes, I had to carry people on my shoulders,” Dey said.
He vividly remembered one moment that stayed with him. “In one house, there was only an old woman who was visually impaired. When she realised we had come, she said her life was saved and blessed us. I also rescued a 14-month-old baby and several women,” Dey said.