KOZHIKODE: Sheela, the mother of Arjun, a lorry driver who has been missing following a devastating landslip at Shirur in Karnataka, has voiced her frustration and dissatisfaction with the ongoing rescue operations. Arjun has been missing for five days since the landslip occurred, and the family is losing hope due to the slow pace of rescue efforts and non-utilisation of modern technology.
“The Army was hoping to find my son, but they could do nothing. It has been a week, and we do not even know if he is alive,” Sheela lamented. The family has lost trust in the rescue operation, feeling that it is not being conducted efficiently. Sheela further criticised the authorities for not revealing the number of lorries and bodies found beneath the mud.
In a desperate plea for better assistance, Sheela mentioned that the family had reached out to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, and Union Minister Suresh Gopi.
“The Army can do a better job in these circumstances. We have sent emails to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, and the Union minister with this demand,” she said.
Adding to their frustration, Sheela noted that excavation efforts were halted earlier than usual, and lorry owners and drivers were being treated poorly by the police.
“It is a joke to show someone that the Army has spent so much on us. There is nothing in their hands that is necessary to save a man,” she said, expressing her disappointment with the rescue operations.
Despite challenges, a 30-member team from Kozhikode’s Mukkam region has started their journey to join the rescue operations.
Representing various disaster management teams, including Ente Mukkam, Karma Omassery, and Pulparamba Raksha Sena, the team is determined to assist in rescue operations.