Eighty personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 10th Battalion, including 24 deep divers, struggled for about 50 hours in Godavari river to retrieve the bodies of the tribal people, who died in the boat accident on May 15.
“We participated in many rescue operations, including natural disasters, fire, building collapse and drowning in rivers and canals up to depths of 20 feet and rescued thousands of victims. But for the first time, the NDRF has successfully carried out the task under 50 feet in the Godavari,” said commandant Zahid Khan.
Personnel from Mangalagiri and Visakhapatnam, headed by Deputy Commandant Santosh Kumar Sharma and inspectors Udit Kumar Dikshit and K.B. Panda, participated in the operation and retrieved 19 bodies. We recommended for commendations for all the personnel who took part in the operation, Mr. Khan said.
Cement bags
caused mishap
“On May 15, we received information around 6.15 p.m., and we reached the spot around midnight the same day.
First day morning, we retrieved three bodies at 25 feet depth, and by evening our divers pulled out the submerged vessel from the waters and traced 15 more bodies. One more body was seen floating 100 meters away in the river and we retrieved it,” Mr. Santosh Kumar told The Hindu .
The boat was about 30-foot long and 10-foot wide and was carrying more than 50 cement bags.
The boat became heavy after it went down, due to the sheer weight of the soaked cement bags, he said adding that the district administration, the local public representatives, Navy, SDRF and the police helped the NDRF in the operation.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Home Minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Ministers and the officers, who monitored the operation, complimented us, Santosh Kumar said.
Cut-off area
Recalling the weather in the cut-off area and on islands in the river, a diver said the water was turbulent but visibility was good enough to take the bodies out before getting down to the difficult task of pulling out the boat.
There was no power and communication in the tribal hamlets. As it was summer, the weather was conducive, and we carried out rescue operations up to 7 p.m., Mr. Panda said.
“Quick Deployment Antennas (QDAs), boats and the emergency equipment helped us in communication, cutting the boat inside the water and pull it out. A crane and an earth-mover were used to bring out the mangled vessel out of the river,” Zahid Khan said.
The deep divers, who forayed into the waters with oxygen cylinders, found medicines, vegetables, rice bags and other material in the submerged vessel. We also searched up to 500 metres in the river to check whether any bodies were swept away in the swirling waters, the Deputy Commandant said.
