‘I am lucky to be alive’
27 Jun 2013 5:08 AM IST
Twenty Delhiites returned to the city late last week after a harrowing experience in Uttarakhand, where thousands are still trapped because of floods following a cloudburst in Uttarakhand.
Speaking to Millennium Post on Wednesday, Harpaal Singh, a resident of Karol Bagh said, 'I am lucky to have survived. My friend Harpreet Singh, however, died from a heart-attack, caused by seeing dead bodies being swept away in torrential rains.'
Recalling the hours of the fear, Singh said that both his car and that of his friend, were lost in the landslide.
'On 13 June, the two of us and 19 others reached Srinagar. From there we head to Govindghaat and reached there on 14 June. We spent some hours, before heading to Govind Dham which is at a walking distance of 10 to 12 kilometers from Govidghaat. Cars are not allowed here because the roads are very narrow. We reached Govind Dham on 15 June. Our plan was to move to Himkund the next day.
But the floods happened before they could move further. ‘Somehow, we managed to spend four days in the second and third floor of that hotel. On the morning of 19 June, we were evacuated from the hotel. The five-seater helicopter had to make four trips to drop all of us at a camp in Joshimath.
‘But at Joshimath, we lost Harpreet. Harpreet suffered a heart-attack from the shock of seeing the flood and the dead bodies swimming in the water. There was no way we could take him to a doctor.’
Harpaal added, ‘From the camp we called our families and asked them to send cars to Rishikesh. Finally my nineteen friends and I, along with Harpreet’s body headed towards Delhi from Rishikesh. We reached the capital on 21 June. We feel blessed to be alive today, but Harpreet's void will always remain in our hearts.’
Speaking to Millennium Post on Wednesday, Harpaal Singh, a resident of Karol Bagh said, 'I am lucky to have survived. My friend Harpreet Singh, however, died from a heart-attack, caused by seeing dead bodies being swept away in torrential rains.'
Recalling the hours of the fear, Singh said that both his car and that of his friend, were lost in the landslide.
'On 13 June, the two of us and 19 others reached Srinagar. From there we head to Govindghaat and reached there on 14 June. We spent some hours, before heading to Govind Dham which is at a walking distance of 10 to 12 kilometers from Govidghaat. Cars are not allowed here because the roads are very narrow. We reached Govind Dham on 15 June. Our plan was to move to Himkund the next day.
But the floods happened before they could move further. ‘Somehow, we managed to spend four days in the second and third floor of that hotel. On the morning of 19 June, we were evacuated from the hotel. The five-seater helicopter had to make four trips to drop all of us at a camp in Joshimath.
‘But at Joshimath, we lost Harpreet. Harpreet suffered a heart-attack from the shock of seeing the flood and the dead bodies swimming in the water. There was no way we could take him to a doctor.’
Harpaal added, ‘From the camp we called our families and asked them to send cars to Rishikesh. Finally my nineteen friends and I, along with Harpreet’s body headed towards Delhi from Rishikesh. We reached the capital on 21 June. We feel blessed to be alive today, but Harpreet's void will always remain in our hearts.’
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