Srinagar Flood: Part-II

It is how the sky and water had made the horizon, how I along with others could came out of house and how a ruined city gave birth to two different breeds of one species called human-beings...

Calamity Painted Abstraction
(A bird eye view of water from third floor) 

Everywhere it was muddy water around our houses (which were not drowned completely). Water cropped them to resemble houseboats and Dal Lake too was coalesced into that squalid water. But the night of 7th September 2014 in those static houseboats was more awful than other days. We were fifteen people on third floor and each of us was assuredness of the other. Few from our neighborhood had been left already in 6th September night. Some were questioning if they had information then why they didn’t tell to others? And some were saying that there was an announcement through a nearby mosque in previous night about ensuing calamity but reality was that we were stuck bemused in our houses with no connection to outer world. 

Through My Window

Horizon was now the meeting point of sky and water instead of earth. Since morning of 7th September Army helicopters were hovering all over in the sky to muster the situation. Everyone was looking upon them with some kind of hope. Flying vultures were even resembling us the helicopters. Each time while listening to sound of the helicopter, people used to run through their windows to know at least what was going to happen now. Everyone wished to be taken away from his/her house through those helicopters. People were tying up red clothes onto brooms or long sticks for showing them to helicopters, but none got anything apart of some convincement. We were spending most of the time to major the water level through eyes. As and whenever we assumed it little downer, we used to feel felicitous. Our situation was no less than a group of unfamiliar people living on an alien island. That time only we all got introduction of each other, and the best part of that bad spell was that we all lived together by sharing whatever we had, ate together whatever whosoever had, laughed together and cried together. None was Hindu, none was Muslim. None was Kashmiri Muslim, and none was Kashmiri Pandit. All were human beings, all were victims and all were survivors. 

It was how people were bringing 'Red' into light

Helicopter rescuing people from Hotel

Few were exiting through boats

On 9th September, it was third day while we were living like this but now with shortage of drinking water and food. People who were taking shelter onto a nearby five-storied hotel were anyhow became succeed in calling a helicopter. It was the only building with flat terrace, as buildings are built with elusory roofs in Srinagar because heavy snow fall take place in winters. Some people had constructed the wooden boats, and some were being received by their local relatives. It was inevitable to come out of the houses now, as we couldn’t stay there for long like this. Rescue team from Jammu as assured by my uncle remained a dream only, as they may be couldn’t find any way to reach us. That afternoon we saw an Army-boat coming towards our house. We started calling them. Actually one of our neighbor’s old-aged parents were stuck in their house and he wasn’t in town, so now he was coming back to take his parents with the help of that Army-boat headed by an Army Major and his troop. On our request they had taken us also. We didn’t knew while leaving the home where we will be going but still we were pleased. Major told us in the way that they were bringing us to Army Cantonment, where a relief camp was set up. He also told us that same day while rescuing the flood victims their four team members were attacked viciously by militants. 

A lone neighbor whose son came with Army-boat

While sitting into that boat going towards Cantonment, our vacuumed eyes were confronting a drowned city. A water-prostrate city telling with sighs that how a man spend almost his whole life to set up a house and household goods, which can be washed away within few hours. How someone spend many years to obtain an educational degree, to become an engineer or somewhat like that, can be empty handed with no papers in hand. How someone anxiously earns the money, increases bank balance, feels lordly to have bank ATM’s, which can be useless without ATM machines. How someone having a big bank balance, couldn’t have money to buy eatables. How someone having money to buy eatables could be with no availability of required things. I too was with no cash money in hands while leaving the home, thankfully I was given a sum of 7000 rupees by a strange neighbor who even didn’t knew my name. Water had gulped the past, the present and had left the dubious future. Now there were no lanes, no roads and no particular addresses. We were sailing away above everything. This elevation from earth wasn’t the high rising success instead it was the annihilation of a civilization. 

It was how we came outside through Army-boat

There were numerous Army-boats rescuing the people and going towards Cantonment. But there were a lot of people stuck in their houses complaining about lack of rescue operations. We too were among those people few minutes ago. Mothers having kids in their laps were in more trouble. Some people could made their own arrangements to wave over the water i.e. by tying up the empty drums. But sadly few among them were not helping and rescuing anyone. They were a group of anti-etiquette finding the advantage of catastrophe. They were collecting the Gas-Cylinders which had swayed away from kitchens through the windows. They were going to sell them afterwards. They were stabbing the jewelry shops. They were entering into houses for larceny by demolishing the glass-windows in night. It was the reason many residents didn’t wanted to leave their houses even in that moribund condition. 

Drowned up School Building on third day
(As I could capture it while sailing towards Cantonment)

One could juxtapose the efforts of these contrary breeds of one species Homo-sapiens. One was selflessly serving the injured mankind and the other was filling own empty injections through their dried-up blood. My left eye was wet seeing the Army-men’s sedulity and right eye was sodden looking at sad face of humanity. In drowsiness of these thoughts, soon we entered into Cantonment area which situates at heights as compare to rest of the city. After writing down everyone’s name, the place from where one rescued and one’s destination place, Army-men were sending people to rescue camp. While writing down the names they were offering some dry food items and fruits. Finally some efforts from the Government came afore the eyes.

Rest in the Next (Blogpost)