BELAGAVI: Flood victims who were airlifted from Amargol of Ron taluk recently have projected a “hopeless situation they have landed in”. “Our survival is useless as the floods washed away all our belongings, and gone with them are our hopes,” one of ten victims rescued by a helicopter from the village and taken to a shelter at Dharmanath Bhavan in Belagavi told TNIE.
Most of the rescued victims are senior citizens. Out of 30 people who had climbed onto the terrace of a building to save themselves from floodwaters, ten were picked up by rescuers and flown out, while the remaining are still waiting to be saved.
With tears in eyes, the rescued victims said that they are “finished” as they are left with “nothing”. All of them are farmers, who were expecting a good yield this year.
One of them, Basangouda Parangoudar, said that he owns ten acres of land and had ten cattle. “My cattle were part of my family and I tried everything possible to save them, but the flood killed them in front of my eyes, even as I stood helplessly watching them drown. They were like my children, but I could not save them,” he said.
Parangoudar went on to say that his entire family of wife, children and grandchildren had gone missing. “I pray they are all safe. I have not been able to contact any of them. I only hope they have taken shelter in one of the relief camps,” he added.
Yallappa Hogar, another rescued victim, said that he wants to be with his family, but does not know where they are. “I am sure they are safe, as I believe in God, who will keep them safe,” he said. Hogar said that the floods had destroyed his house, crops and everything, but not the will to survive. He said he was ready to go back and work hard on his flooded land.