A flood in my heart

The various posts on the Kerala floods, the experiences and inspirational anecdotes , remind me of my own experience  leading an Army  column in the Tamil Nadu floods of 2015.

My column was airlifted from Begumpet Airfield, Secunderabad and landed at Arakkonam Naval Airbase since (Meenambakkam (Chennai) was non ops due to flooding.

The behemoth that flew us to the mission - C-17 Globemaster

        Into the insides of the monster

                                           
                                         

My first flight in a US made IAF aircraft. Found them better than the Russian ones

This monster has a large belly

We operated for 24 days in all - 02 days in Chennai and the rest of the 22 days in Cuddalore District.

Kasi Theatre Area - Chennai

Zaffarkhanpet - Chennai

Briefing

After the rage of nature and the fury of the water had subsided and rescue ops were over we stayed on for relief ops - helping the district administration to get food/water units and medical aid to people in affected areas.

A captive ferry operation across Gadilam river(Cuddalore)

My medical team were real rockstars working tirelessly 

for 9 to 10 hours on end wading through waist deep water

Unloading relief material 

The sights were heart-rending, people were devastated. Pukka houses were standing but their contents had been ruined completely and the morale of their inhabitants shattered. Worse was the condition of those who lived in huts and kaccha mud houses. They no longer had houses. 

The only inhabitants in some houses were dead bodies.

 House inundated in Villupuram, Cuddalore

  Kaccha huts - The Poorest lost all they had

                                            

Children had skin infection ulcers due to prolonged exposure to infected waters

I had a difficult time feeding the troops because we had to find locations away from the eyes of the half-fed people in the villages to have our own food. We didn't even feel like eating , but it was important to force troops to eat to keep their strength up. 

Lunch break

I saw both the best as well as worst of human nature on display.

On one hand we had enthusiastic student volunteers who had harnessed the power of social media and got tons of relief material pouring in from all over the Country. There were young doctors who would plead to be allowed to be accompany my relief teams. There were common villagers who showed great initiative, selflessness and courage in helping others.

Enthusiastic young doctors

                                                        

On the other hand, there were political goons who would commandeer relief material  sent by individuals and organisations from across the Country and abroad leaving in trucks from Cuddalore Port. The perishables in these would be distributed selectively in certain constituencies to secure vote banks. The durables like bedsheets, clothes etc would go to their godowns to be used  in election season. In other places there were miscreants busy looting houses abandoned by those shifted to relief camps.

Later, back at 1 EME  Centre, Secunderabad, I  was asked to draft citations for the entire team.

 I did so - for the members of my team.

As for myself, I had already got my reward

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. . . When in some of the villages people lined up to clap when the vehicles of my column  passed through while we were de-inducting back to Chennai. The love and appreciation I saw in those eyes were ample reward for me . . .

I may not wear that reward on my chest but I carry it in my heart. 🙏