About 100 persons belonging to Jaggayyapeta, Gudivada and Mandavalli mandals of Krishna district, who undertook a pilgrimage to Char Dham Yatra in Uttarkashi and later got stranded there due to unprecedented floods, arrived at the Vijayawada railway station Saturday by Kerala Express. Relatives of the pilgrims, who turned up in large numbers, welcomed the pilgrims.
Two couples from Gouraram village of Jaggayyapet mandal - M Rangaiah and Seetamma & Satyam and Savitri - said that it was a rebirth for them as they lost hope of life for the five days living in most difficult conditions on the road in Uttarkashi. Thanking the Army for its rescue operations, they said that Lord Shiva had showered His blessings on them. “We are happy to unite with our families and thank the government for its efforts in bringing us back to our native place,” they said in unison.
An employee of SBI branch at Akividu, P Srinivasulu, said that the pilgrims had being forced to face hardships for food and water. “We had to pay Rs 50 to Rs 100 for a water bottle,” he said.
Srinivasulu said that the prayers of relatives, well-wishers and the general public had saved the lives of the pilgrims.
He thanked the Army teams for their tireless and daring rescue efforts. Later, the pilgrims set out to their villages in various vehicles arranged by relatives from the railway station. A large number of people gathered to see them at the railway station.