Amphan Super Cyclone: A Nightmare
It was a nightmare…..
Amal, our field researcher, visited Sunderbans few days ago and the array of incidences followed. ?
I was in a hurry to reach our project camp when suddenly I heard someone calling my name from a distance.
I looked back but my vision was blurred. I quickly put my glasses on and saw a villager waving at me.
“Can you recognise me Babu? How are you? Are you here for any work?” the villager asked me. ?
He read my eyes and understood my failed attempts.
He introduced himself, “Babu, I am Santosh, we met last year when you all came for the Covid relief distribution, remember?”
In a moment, all the memories of the devastating calamity came alive in my mind. He looked better than how we met last time.
“How are you Santosh?”, I asked him. “All good Sir, it has been quite sometime since we met. How are you doing?” he replied.
I asked Santosh to accompany me to the camp.
Out of concern I asked him how his work has been going, since our last meeting. He smirked and said, “I am above 60 years and cannot do much hard work. I only try to earn as much to feed my family twice a day. I farm in a land and my wife does poultry farming. Sometimes I even go to the construction sites and do labour job.
Life has been difficult for us as we have lost almost everything in the last year.
During Amphan, the salt water of the river had gushed inside the village making the cultivating lands unproductive and even drowned our animals. We did not even have any drinking water facility in the village for several days. We completely survived on the water that you had distributed along with other items.
Due to the cyclone we had lost our shelter, but with the timely support provided by you in the form of tarpaulin sheets and ropes, we could build our own camp with it.”
We would not have survived if you had not given us the support on right time then”, seeing Santosh breaking down I held his hands and consoled. He continued saying, “after the cyclone there was no electricity, and we were depending on the candles. But after few days that there was no stock left. Since then, we are using the torches that you had given us and still going on.
But you know what babu, we are in a better position now. There has been a lot of support coming from the Government and many other NGOs. There is opportunity for work at least, even if the pay is low. Our basic daily needs are met, and we are making it through the ups & downs.
We hope for a day when we can live without any worries of losing our home and belongings in any disaster. We are hard working people and if sometimes we get help from good people like you, there is nothing more we ask for.”
Santosh said in a soft voice, “Babu we have reached the camp, I will need to get back to work. Call me anytime you need”. I kept looking at the brave man while he went back to his life again.
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