Left on their own, a family of six is contemplating navigating the unknown terrain of post-earthquake Nepal to make their way back to India.
Sowmyashree T.R. (35) and her family of six, including her 10-year-old daughter and three persons above the age of 65, are stranded in Pokhara in north-western Nepal after the earthquake struck the Himalayan Kingdom on Saturday.
“They have contacted the Karnataka officers (Pankaj Kumar Pandey and Umesh Kumar) who have been sent to Kathmandu. As the situation in Pokhara is not as dire as the capital, they have been asked to contact other persons from Karnataka in the region until further instructions are given,” said M.D. Shivakumar Bellithatte, husband of Sowmyashree. Though the telephone connection is erratic, the city-based media professional has been able to contact his wife at least once a day. Mr. Bellithatte’s family left for Nepal on a pilgrimage to Muktidham last Thursday. Though scheduled to take a flight from Kathmandu on Sunday, the six of them have been stranded at Pokhara since Saturday.
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They learnt that at least 15 people from Karnataka are stuck at Jomson – in the heart of Annapurna Conservation Area, around 150 km from Pokhara, and on contacting them, a rescue operation could be planned. However, with no further information available, the family is contemplating hiring a vehicle and making their way nearly 300km south to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. “They are asking around if a vehicle is available. Unfortunately, there is no information on the condition of the road and whether it has been cleared of landslides,” said Mr. Bellithatte. With tremors frequently occuring, Mr. Bellithatte says the family has been living in temporary tents by the road-side.
They are contemplating making their way to the Indian border by road