06 Cloudburst , landslide and flood: True story from our childhood

Cloudburst, landslide and flood: True story from our childhood

Pappu, Sanju, and Bholu along with their parents were living in Gopeshwar city in Uttarakhand. They lived in a rented house which was along a tar road coming from collectorate and going downwards towards market. It was ground floor from front side but was first floor from back side. This was usual in the hills.

There was a 4 feet footpath concrete going downwards from their house. There were houses both sides of foot path. After about 20 meters, one the edge, there was a newly built house of a retired subedar uncle from army. After edge, a sharp steep zig-zag path going down which was reaching the same road which came there by taking a U band.

Subedar uncle, his wife and their three daughters aged about 6 to 12 years were living in half of that house. Half part was rented out to another family which had 6 members.

It was rainy season and little rain was happening once in a while. Everyone started wearing light winter cloths as temperature used to go down when it rained.

One day there were dark clouds, there was very less light even in the day. Everyone came home early and watched some TV and slept. Pappu used to study late in the night, but today he also slept around 10PM.

It was after mid night that father got up and asked everyone to get up. Water had come into their house. Being first floor, water went out from other side. About half inch thick water was flowing inside their rooms. They just remained in their beds and prayed to Indra God to stop the rain. Night was too long, time wasn’t passing, they heard some noise of people but could not understand anything as loud sound of rain and thunder subdued people’s voice.

Next day was a sunny morning, kids came out to balcony. They saw naked mountain range of Himalaya where some ice and black stone were glittering like a local ‘galoband’, a necklace made of cotton belt and gold. It was so beautiful that kids kept watching it for a long time.

They were frozen when they took their eyes off the Himalayas and looked down. It was scene extreme surprise.

Subedar uncle’s house was still there but earth beneath was swept away. house was made on RCC beams so a horizontal-beams on base kept the house intact. House just hanged there without the base on the half part. They talked about his family swept away but they heard Subedar uncle’s voice from ground floor of their house.

In the night when the water came and swept away the foot path and base of Subedar uncle’s house. Tenant’s and subedar uncle’s family came out from other side of their house and took refuse in ground floor of Pappu’s home.

Slowly news started coming in, water pipelines had swept away so there was no water supply in entire city. Cloudburst had caused landslides in two villages. One about 50 kilo meters away where around 70 people swept away with the mud and other some 5 kilo meters aways where some cattle died.

Father immediately went to rescue operations in first village while kids walked to nearby village to see the damage.

Post script:

#Mere Aaj Main Mera Bachpan.

#मेरे आज में मेरा बचपन

#True story from our childhood: Cloudburst, landslide and flood: True story from our childhood

#Natural calamity

#disaster management

#Life in hills

#flood 

#landslide

#flood

#cloudbrust

#relief

#Karuna

#life in hills

#nature's fury