Tsunami & After

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Son awaits father's return

     Pune: Four days after the Tsunami tragedy left a widespread trail of destruction, the family members of a Pune- based ornithologist Ramesh Bidwe who had gone to the Nicobar island along with his friends on a research trip are waiting for his return. Ramesh and his friends are missing since the colossal waves hit south and eastern India on December 26. Ajay Bidwe, Ramesh's son, said his father had gone to the Nicobar Island and has not contacted them after the killer waves struck the island. "My dad is missing from Nicobar island and we are worried about his whereabouts. We are in contact with B.P Yadav who lives in Andaman. Mr. Yadav told us that my dad is on an island, which is mountainous. And if he is there, he will be safe. We are praying for his safety," Ajay said. The family's only hope now rests on one of Ramesh's friends, B P Yadav. Ramesh had planned his trip to the island almost three months back and left for Car Nicobar on December 19. He was to return on January 5. He also had plans to visit another small island on the way called Campbell, situated 300 km away from Car Nicobar.
-Dec 30, 2004

A girl swam to safety, battling waves (Go To Top)

    Pune: It's a moment the 25-year-old Nivedita Kanitkar from Pune will remember throughout her life. The gutsy hotel worker who fought back waves as high as 20 feet and a slew of bodies, many of them her friends and co-workers, is back amidst her loved ones in the warmth of her home. The young girl, an employee of the Taj Exotica in the tiny island resort of Maldives, showed rare courage, cheating the dreaded tsunami waves that has killed over 80,000 across south Asia. Nivedita, who says she is just an average swimmer, does not know from where she got the strength and courage to battle the ferocious sea for so long, fighting not just the waves and the fatigue but a chilling fear of death. The floating dead bodies made the case worse for her. Barely out of the shock, Nivedita says it was her sheer will to live that saw her through. "I thought I would try my level best. I had to live so I continued swimming. My willpower was very strong at that moment," she said. Many of Nivedita's friends were, however, not as lucky and she is praying that those still missing or battling severe injuries would survive. The official death toll for the disaster rose to 82,847 but the true scale of the disaster may not be known for days, or even weeks, as rescuers struggled to reach stricken areas and grieving survivors searched for relatives. Meanwhile, millions of people around the Indian Ocean are scrambling for food and clean water as the threat of disease and hunger stalks survivors of the most devastating tsunami on record.
- Dec 30, 2004

Tourists rescued from Port Blair reach Kolkata (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: It was sunshine after hours of darkness for the tourists from Port Blair who had fought hard to survive and return to their hometown of Kolkata. With no food, water and shelter, it was an endless wait for the plane that flew them to their warm homes. It was a shocking and painful experience for Mousami Banerjee, who saw her hotel submerging, minutes within the killer waves hit the island. "I thank god that we have survived. There was water and cracks on the walls everywhere. I am happy to be alive," Ms Banerjee said. Anil Kumar, one amongst the few to survive said he hoped that many more tourists would be rescued. "Administration is working overtime in Port Blair. I am sure maximum tourists will be brought from there today," Kumar said. Meanwhile, official estimates said that the total death toll in India might reach up to 12,500 as the number of deaths in South Asia reached nearly 83,000. Though, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies put the figure at more than 100,000.
- Dec 30, 2004

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