Hundreds provide water, food to rescue workers

The city once again witnessed the humane face with hundreds of people of different age groups coming forward to provide food and water to those carrying out the rescue work.

More than 1000 personnel of different agencies including the Kolkata Police and Indian Army were engaged to clear the debris to bring out the people trapped under the collapsed part of the Vivekananda flyover. They worked overnight and rescued many.

But there were another set of people who continued fighting with the situation in same pace to supply adequate drinking water to the rescuers.

Hundreds of the members of the Gurudwara Chota Sikh Sangat were found distributing foods that included khichdi and vegetable to the people at the spot. Sandip Singh, one of the volunteers, said: “Our Gurudwara is at Cotton Street. Around 25 people are preparing the food there and more than 75 people are distributing the same at the spot.”

The State government has arranged food and drinking water for the rescuers. But the support of these volunteers by providing the food from Friday morning was of immense help to many. They offered the food to everyone starting from policemen to officials of different agencies. In midst of carrying out the rescue work the personnel were found taking the food in plates made out of sal leaves. 

“We had been working since Thursday afternoon and will continue performing our duty till each and everyone is rescued. But I would like to thank the youth who continued supplying us drinking water since Thursday afternoon,” said a rescuer Amalesh Ghosal adding that the place was filled with smoke of dust so a constant supply of drinking water to the rescuers was an important task.

Late Thursday night when the Army jawans were demolishing the concrete slabs, around 100 youth formed a human chain and continued passing drinking water bottles to the rescuers.