Rare bonding in Kolhapur as floods bring people closer to one another

What has been remarkable about the worst-ever floods in Kolhapur city is the collective effort of various government agencies, the armed forces, local social organisations, Good Samaritans and the people at large in the massive rescue and relief operations that are underway.

There was quick thinking and collective effort which has ensured minimal damage to human life. In its latest count, the Pune Divisional commissionerate which covers Kolhapur and four other districts, has placed the death count at four. The number of missing is yet to be arrived at as the situation is still not clear, government officials said.

Caused by heavy rains and release of water from the massive Koyna and Radhanagari dams, these floods have been the worst in the living memory of the people. Residents said that the havoc has been far worse than the floods in 2005.

Such is the situation that the more than 12,000 people who were rescued and evacuated from the floods in Kolhapur city are not sure when they will return home from the relief camps set up in schools and other places in the city.

“It’s heart-breaking, but you know what, it’s amazing to see people come together in this time of distress,” said volunteer Priyanka Raut who was engaged in relief work.

Tanmay Shah, a flood victim undergoing a check-up at a medical camp said, “I appreciate it…I appreciate it to the fullest. You don’t find this kind of bonding every other day. Most the time it’s each one looking after themselves.”

“We got water. People have been bringing canned food,” said volunteer Rajat Oswal while pointing to boxes of relief material kept for sorting. “We’ve got diapers. They keep coming in; they keep going,” he said.

Popular social media applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook overnight became control rooms for disaster relief. With the situation getting out of control, almost all WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages and groups in Kolhapur suspended their regular chatter and focused on just one thing: helping those affected by the flood.

People posted a host of information relating to the rains, flooding in localities to those seeking help to be rescued and in finding those who had gone missing.

Many people used Facebook and WhatsApp to share videos of themselves appealing for help, giving exact locations and contact numbers for the rescue teams to reach them.

Volunteers worked day and night to arrange rescue, food, blankets, clothes, sanitary pads and all other things necessary for the thousands who were being shifted to relief camps.

Even those from Kolhapur but living in other cities chipped in by gathering information on those who were missing, stranded or in need, and coordinated with officials to bring help to thousands in distress.

Differences of caste and religion were set aside as everyone volunteered to help the flood victims by donating all possible essentials ranging from food, milk, biscuits to clothes and blankets.