Replug: Unsung heroes

Photo by Guardian

The accounts of the flood victims are heart-wrenching, to say the least. Also, amidst these, are stories of heroism, valour and never-seen-before altruism.

Taj Alam, 25, a resident of village Kotla in district Mansehra (Hazara), rescued the children and women of a family. The landslide caused by heavy rains triggered a mudslide along the banks. Many houses collapsed. Taj heard the screams of the drowning family. The water was so torrential that swimming through it was impossible. Taj tied ropes around himself, dived three or four times and managed to save the family.

Salim Khan, a native of Kot Addu, hosted the volunteers, spent his nights on boats showing them around the affected areas and helped them distribute aid to the genuine affectees. Coordinators working for the government project called Social Welfare Protection, also volunteered and collected funds for food, medical aid and blankets. They personally went to villages and distributed the material, sometimes feeding over 1,000 people at a single aftaar.

Mazhar Abbas was a youth who met TNS in a village called Sanawan, near Kot Addu. His father was still trapped in the area and he was striving to get on some vehicle to reach him. As the water levels rose, the risk to his life increased. But, on finally reaching a truck, he focused solely on re-uniting his scattered family, bringing them food and re-assuring them that their father would return. Mazhar's motivation and optimism was just too inspiring.

Zafar Lund reported from Muzaffargarh, that when Taunsa Barrage broke in their area, they had to evacuate the people on a very short notice. Almost all of it was public effort. He reported that a woman named Rizwana Parveen did a commendable job and went from door to door to help women and children escape the area swiftly.

"We arranged 20 wagons for two days and evacuated people," Zafar told TNS. "The sailors in the areas had some 36 boats. All the boats were busy helping. Many other villages asked for help but we couldn't."

These are but a few of the hundreds of such stories. If these humane and philanthropic souls were not around, the disaster would be more adverse. Some of these volunteers have been recognised by NGOs and government agencies working there, and were reported by the media. The state should give these "unsung heroes" some reward and recognition by announcing national awards for them. This will inspire people to work harder, generate goodwill and decrease the current disillusionment among the people, regarding the government.

This short piece was first published in The News in August 2010.