New Delhi, June 26, 2013: While many travellers returning from Uttarakhand have only tales of horror to narrate, there are some accounts that reinstate faith in humanity.

One such story is of the Badola family’s visit to Srinagar. Srinagar, located in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, also witnessed a cloud burst. While many buildings were destroyed, precious lives were saved with the help of locals and authorities. The stories of food being sold at exorbitant rates were also not heard in this district.

‘Helping people’

“The dreadfulness of events post the cloud burst and during it in Kedarnath and Badrinath were thankfully not seen in our district. The locals were all helpful and made it their sole prerogative to help the people,” said Geeta Badola, who along with her daughter Nanu, had gone to Srinagar.

Having returned to her house in Noida, Ms. Badola is all praise for the support she received in the disaster-hit State.Supposed to leave from Srinagar on June 14, the mother and daughter were forced to put their plans on hold due to bad weather. “On the night of June 15, the thunder began and it led to trees getting uprooted near our house in Srinagar. There was also a very strong surge in the flow of the Alaknanda below,” Ms. Badola said.

Though the river later assumed monstrous proportions, Ms. Badola said no one expected its devastating potential. “The residents were not given any warnings as such,” she noted.

“No one realised the damage the river could cause till the morning of June 16, when we woke up to the calamity. Bridges, big and small, were swept away and the raging river waters ate into the embankments. The market across the highway bridge was completely submerged,” recalled Ms. Badola.

Her daughter Nanu added: “We saw a man being swept away in the floods along with cows and buffalo”.

Despite the difficulties faced by the residents themselves, they made every effort to make the people passing through their town feel comfortable.

“A man from my village went to the extent of preparing meals for the travellers and providing shelter in his house. Food camps were set up everywhere. Work to repair roads for emergency evacuation were already under way,” Ms. Badola said.

Happy to be back home, Ms. Badola said, “Whatever we’ve seen in the news about biscuits being sold at outlandish prices, was not at all prevalent in my area. I can vouch for it. Residents were going out of their way to help.”

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 26, 2013.