Gopalpur, Oct. 15: One comes across heart-warming scenes of solidarity and courage while travelling the 180-km stretch through NH-5 and NH-16 from Bhubaneswar to Gopalpur on Sea, where cyclone Phailin made landfall.

On the Chhatrapur bypass, Mihir Ranjan Swain is an unsung hero. Swain runs a dhaba where more than 150 truck drivers make pit stops for food and rest everyday. He knew of the impending danger but risked his life to provide shelter to the drivers.

“It (the cyclone) struck around 11pm, but I had decided not to shut my eatery. On that night, at least 20 truck drivers hailing from other states stayed here,” said Swain.

Metres away from his dhaba, a truck that turned turtle lies unattended on the highway. “The driver managed to get away with minor injuries,” he said.

Swain is not the only good Samaritan. Throughout the stretch, one could see that without waiting for government officials, villagers came forward with axes and cleared the roads by chopping down the fallen trees.

“There are so many trees that the storm uprooted. If they are not cleared immediately, they will create a traffic jam. We cannot wait for officials to come and clear roads. Also, these trees will help villagers mend their houses and provide fodder for their cattle,” said Anil Behera, who stays at a small village at Barkul.

The villagers avoided touching electric poles and wires that were strewn all over the highway. Despite power cuts, mobile phone network problems and devastation caused in Berhampur district, Gopalpur showed signs of returning to normality right from day after.

The markets opened with shopkeepers and hawkers not leaving any opportunity to do brisk business.

“It is all about the victory of the human spirit. Let the government do its relief work. Why should we sit and wait? We all have to do our bit in restoring normality,” said Dilip, a 20-year-old medical student at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, who came to visit Gopalpur with his friends.