Uttarakhand disaster: Rescued Shobha Karandlaje recounts horror

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Bengaluru: Former Karnataka energy minister Shobha Karandlaje, who was stranded for more than three nights and four days in Budla village in Rudraprayag, was evacuated to Rishikesh with all the other 1,100 pilgrims there by rescue teams Wednes­day evening. Karand­laje, who is expected to reach the city Thursday night, shared her horrifying experience on the pho­ne with Deccan Chronicle.
 
When did you realise that you could be stranded as a result of the disaster?
 
The rains on Sunday looked like they were never going to stop. It was hard to differentiate between the sky and the river. On one side you have high mountains where landslides can be triggered and on the other there is a flooded river. For one night I could not even get out of my car. We were around 1,100 people in our group and most of us took shelter on the hill- top.
 
Can you tell us more about those stranded in your group?
 
They were pilgrims, mostly from Rajasthan and Maharash­tra. The majority were old women and small children. We had no doctor in our group and we had minimal food supply as many of the stranded people had lost their luggage and food bags. Many of the children fell ill and we had no help. We could not sleep either due to the rising river water and the possibility of more landslides.
 
Who supplied you food and water ?
 
For the first two days we had enough supplies in our vehicles. When we started running out of water some of the youngsters on a bike helped to fetch it from a far off place as going closer to the river was dangerous. We did not get any food supplies from the administration for the first few days. But everyone in the group shared the food they had as we were not sure when we would be rescued.
 
What would you describe as the most tense moment during your ordeal?
 
We became very afraid when the rescue team and earthmovers did not come on time. We thought the approach road to us had been blocked and  help would never reach us. We were running out of food and water and I had informed the government officials who were trying to contact me and the local tahasildar about this. But help reached us the next evening and we were able to reach Rishikesh.
 
What do you think about the rising casualties?
 
I fear we may never be able to ascertain the exact number of deaths in this disaster. For instance, there was a place called Ramgrih, about 15 kms from where we were stranded. The small hamlet had lodges, shops and servant quarters. The tourists on horseback would take shelter in these lodges . But the landslides and floods submerged the entire hamlet. How can you tell how many people lost their lives that night? Several tourists have gone missing enroute and frantic relatives are trying to locate them.
 
Are you satisfied with the rescue operations and the respon­se from the Karnataka government?
 
The military is doing a good job in rescuing people and taking them to safety. Several departments in the district administration are also building roads, but its still difficult to reach many of the stranded pilgrims. As far as the state government is concerned it cannot do much. The team in Dehradun will not be able to move 8 kms from that city due to road blocks. We must pray that the rescue teams manage to evacuate as many people as possible to safety.