INGALLALLI VILLAGE, DHARWAD DISTRICT: When rescue teams approached a stranded 70-year old man he had a unique request. He said he had to take of his four-legged friends along with him and the rescue team obliged with no fuss.
Thus began the boat journey of Hanumantappa Nalude and his two canine friends towards the mainland. Along with Hanumantappa, nine other construction workers were also rescued from the floods at Ingalalli village near Navalagund.
Hanumantappa works as a watchman in the construction site which was involved in bridge construction across Bennihalla stream which is currently under spate with continues downpour in the region. The water levels in the stream were raising since Wednesday night and the district administration had alerted the site workers but they ignored the warning and by Thursday morning the water levels raised that the workers could not cross to safety.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was pressed into action who swiftly rescued the stranded workers. Most of the workers who were working at the site have come from Odisha and are expected to return to their native.
Hanumantappa said that both the dogs have grown at his home in Ingalalli and he did not wanted to leave them behind in the floods. “As the water rose I took shelter inside the earth mover along with one of my dogs. I was preparing for the food in the shelter but the water started gushing inside suddenly,” he explained.
Speaking with TNIE, Tahsildar Sangappa Badada said that the site workers and villagers living along the Bennihalla have been warned in advance to vacate as the water levels are increasing in most of the streams.