KENDRAPARA: AS Kendrapara district limps back to normalcy after Fani and people from the vulnerable parts returned home to pick up pieces of their lives, one name Pritismita Parida resonated across remote seaside villages and for valid reasons.
The woman cop who went beyond the call of duty and saved many lives from the wrath of Fani is now being taken with pride by the people in the region. The constable of Talachua marine police station single handedly evacuated around 300 women and children on her motorcycle as Fani inched closer to Odisha coast on May 3. Working tirelessly, the 23-year-old policewoman rode her bike for three days from May 1 to 3 to shift the women, children and elderly to the cyclone shelters.
She shifted the most vulnerable ones to safety from remote areas of Talachua, Rangani, Khasmunda, Pataparia, Baghamari, Manjulapali, Dolasahi, Keruapala and other villages. She also had to speak and convince women about the necessity to move out of their homes and shift to cyclone shelters.
“After the authorities warned that cyclone Fani would hit coastal pockets, I decided to shift women and children on my motorcycle. It was dangerous to drive a motorcycle with two pillion riders on slippery village roads but, I was determined to rescue them. As many villagers were getting restless, I had to shift two at a time,” said Pritismita.
‘In some cases, villagers did not want to move from their houses, I spoke to them and convinced them before shifting them to safety on my motorcycle,” she added. Muddy and slippery roads were posing a problem but the job was to be done. The rescued included three pregnant women, said the cop.
“Pritismita did a brave job by saving many lives. Apart from rescue work, she along with other police officials provided us cooked food and relief items,” said Malati Haldar of Pataparia.
Inspector-in-charge of Talachua police station, Srikant Barik said, “After receiving information on cyclone from our headquarters, we launched evacuation works. Many villagers were reluctant to leave their homes but we convinced them and agreed to stay in a cyclone shelter around one to two kilometers from their villages.”
Pritismita has now acquired a hero status not only in the district but nationally and internationally. As photographs of her ferrying people to shelters on her motorcycle were splashed on social media, her dedication and service drew applause from every quarter.