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     Iamim Side Hero Username: Iamim Post Number: 5106 Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 117.195.175.45 Rating: N/A |
For scores Gupta came as god, then god sent for him Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, June 27, 2013 First Published: 00:49 IST(27/6/2013) | Last Updated: 00:50 IST(27/6/2013) Commandant Nitya Nand Gupta was a happy and a proud man — proud that his team had saved numerous lives working-round-the-clock in a hostile terrain and tough weather conditions for nine non-stop days. Gupta and some of his men were to head home later this week after a job well done but that was not to be. Gupta, heading the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) unit in the flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, and his eight colleagues were among the 20 rescuers who died in the Tuesday’s Mi-17 helicopter crash on way back from Kedarnath, which saw widespread devastation in the June 15-16 flashfloods. An ITBP man on deputation to NDRF and heading a unit at its Ghaziabad base, Gupta was to call off the operation on Tuesday as all pilgrims had been air-lifted from Kedarnath. The ITBP and NDRF personnel were the first to reach the temple site and were also instrumental in evacuating thousands of pilgrims through alternative routes through the slippery slopes of the Kedar valley. More than 20,000 people were evacuated from Kedarnath and surrounding areas. Gupta’s team also rescued about 300 persons stranded in Jungle Chetti after building a make-shift helipad and were the first to provide medical aid to those stranded in Kedarnath. His 49-year-old colleague, inspector Bhim Singh, who was from Jammu and died in the crash, spent many sleepless nights comforting those who lost their family members, an official said. “They have done a great job with limited resources and in difficult situation,” NDRF’s IG (Operations) Sandeep Rathore said about Gupta’s team. Though shocked and grieving, the NDRF personnel on Wednesday continued to do what they do the best – saving precious lives. | ||
| Iamim Side Hero Username: Iamim Post Number: 5105 Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 117.195.175.45 Rating: N/A |
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Dead ITBP, NDRF men were first to reach Kedarnath Deeptiman Tiwary, Vishwa Mohan & Bharti Jain, TNN | Jun 27, 2013, 04.07 AM IST NEW DELHI: The 15-member ITBP-NDRF team feared dead along with five IAF personnel was one of the first to reach the Kedarnath temple site on June 18 after the deluge. And the last achievement they relayed back to the headquarters was, "Sir, we have also cleaned the temple of all the dead bodies, silt and muck." Having evacuated every single survivor out of the valley, the nine-member NDRF and six-member ITBP teams were relieved of their duty on Tuesday after relentless rescue work over seven days where they lived, ate and slept with thousands of victims. Even under the nauseating stench of decomposing bodies and threat of contamination, they kept at their job. Now, all that they leave behind is old parents forced to fend for a poor family, a young wife of just seven months of marriage and dilapidated homes that they promised to get repaired on return. NDRF IG Sandeep Rai Rathore said, "They had worked tirelessly at the temple site sharing their own food with the victims and giving them medicines. They also cleared the area of all bodies to maintain the sanctity of the temple. In fact, only a day before the crash, they told me that they had even cleaned the temple as they did not like it with all the muck, silt and bodies." For ITBP, it is an even greater loss given that the nine NDRF personnel were drawn from ITBP. Sources said some of the bright talents of the two forces were lost in the accident. It was this team that had played a crucial role in evacuation of over 20,000 pilgrims from Kedarnath valley. It was this team that had even caught some unscrupulous sadhus with over Rs 1.14 crore in cash suspected to have been stolen from the temple chest. It was this team that cleaned the site of bodies. "It was their time to rest. Not rest in peace," said an ITBP official. The victims included NDRF's 48-year-old second-in-command Nitya Nand Gupta, a trained bomb expert and disaster management professional, who oversaw rescue operations in Kedarnath. ITBP sub-inspector Jayender Prasad, 55, who hailed from Tehri Garhwal and "looked at the rescue operation as a house chore", was decorated with 13 rewards and awards over his long career. Constable Sarvesh Kumar was a trained mountaineer from ITBP's Auli institute and "used his training to good effect". "They were all well-trained and good boys. We are saddened, but our morale is still high. We will continue to rescue people," ITBP chief Ajay Chadha said. For their families, the tragedy is difficult to surmount. NDRF constable Sanjeeva Kumar's cousin from Ballia in UP said, "He is the eldest in the family. We spoke to him on June 19 when he expressed concern about the house we are trying to build for the family. It was his dream to get his younger sister married into a good family. Everything has crashed with his death." ITBP constable Jomon George's family in Alapuzha, Kerala, did not even know of their son's tragedy until it was flashed in the media. A neighbour of the family told TOI, "The family came to know through the media. It is shattered. We are told the force will officially inform the family by this evening." Constable Sarvesh Kumar's family in Jhansi, UP, is beyond any consolation. "He was married only seven months ago. His wife is returning from her mother's house. Her life is ruined," Kumar's brother Arvind said. There are still 26 ITBP personnel stationed in Kedarnath who will shortly be airlifted. But for them, it will be a sad farewell to Char Dham. Those who died had hugged them and said "goodbye". Little did anyone know it was their final one. | ||
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 The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet : James Oppenheim | ||
| Iamim Side Hero Username: Iamim Post Number: 5102 Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 117.195.175.45 Rating: N/A |
Of winged angels and heroic deeds Hindustan TimesBy HT Correspondent | Hindustan Times – 22 hours ago India, June 27 -- Russian-born Igor Sikorsky, considered to be the 'father' of helicopters, famously said the chopper's role in saving lives represents one of the most glorious pages in the history of human flight. The same certainly holds true in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand where pilots of the Indian Air Force and army helicopters are risking their lives to save others. In the past 10 days, they have braved impossible weather conditions and terrain to evacuate more than 16,000 people to safety. Ray of Hope The rescue operation, code named Op Rahat by the IAF and Surya Hope by the army, is said to be the biggest ever mounted operation by the forces. "The pilots have scripted a rescue model for other air forces to emulate in times of natural disasters. This is massive," said former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Major, who coordinated the rescue operation in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. A day after 20 rescue personnel were killed in a Mi-17V5 crash near Gaurikund, it was business as usual for the IAF. Its pilots on Wednesday made at least 64 sorties, airlifting 636 people, taking the count of people so far rescued by the air force to 13,052. "We owe it to our people who lost their lives, that we sustain the mission and complete it successfully," Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said. Touching Lives IAF pilots have flown more than 1,540 sorties since June 17 and dropped 2,16,310 kg of relief material and equipment to the remotest of locations. In the course of their mission, the men and women in uniform have touched the lives of thousands of people. If air force pilots have flown extra sorties to unite a lost child with his parents, lady doctors of the army have trekked for hours on treacherous slopes to help pregnant women deliver. Recalling a conversation with some pilgrims rescued from the Kedarnath area, a young army officer said, "They said if army were a political party, it would never lose an election. It was their way of showing gratitude, though we were only doing our duty." Unlike politicians who have been squabbling with each other to score brownie points over the rescue operation, the men and women in uniform are not yearning for any recognition. Asked if the hectic flying regimen had left the pilots exhausted, a wing commander said, "There's no fatigue at all. We are getting eight hours of sleep. We are trained for such tasks and don't think we are doing anything extraordinary." Ground Work The army's contribution to the rescue and relief effort has been equally credible. More than 8,500 soldiers - battling the same weather conditions as those stranded - are working tirelessly in the worst-affected areas. The army has so far evacuated more than 25,500 people on foot. Brigadier Uma Maheswar, one of the officers monitoring the relief and rescue efforts, explained, "The floods have affected more than 40,000 sq km of area, most of which is segmented posing great difficulty in deploying resources." Army pilots have flown more than 600 sorties, airlifting more than 2,700 people. The force has deployed a total of 13 choppers - a mix of advanced light helicopters and Cheetahs -for the operation. Pilots have been flying at least eight hours daily depending on the weather conditions. Maheswar said soldiers had little time to rest during the last 10 days and mostly slept in the open. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. |
