Patna: For 102 pilgrims from Maharashtra, the terrifying journey out of flood-hit Nepal will remain etched in their memories. Stranded in Kathmandu after sudden flash floods, they watched a car being swept away by raging waters and feared they would be next. Safely evacuated by Bihar govt, they finally left Patna for their home state by train on Saturday morning.“As soon as we left Kathmandu, we had got an idea that the situation had become extremely dangerous. The flow of floodwaters had suddenly increased rapidly. At a distance of about 500 metres from our vehicle, before our eyes, a car was swept away in the strong current of floodwater. Seeing that scene, we were terrified. We felt that now it was our turn. We had no hope that we would be able to survive and reach here (in Bihar). Only God and the Bihar govt saved our lives,” the pilgrims said.Yogesh Gavande of Nagpur recalled the frightening crossing into Bihar. “To enter Bihar from Nepal, we crossed a road bridge, and at that time more than half of the bridge was submerged in floodwater. The floodwater was continuously rising and the current was extremely strong. Amid fear, we somehow crossed the bridge, but about half an hour later we got the news that the water level had risen further. The bridge that we had crossed had been completely submerged.”He said there was little hope of survival while they remained stranded. “There was no hope that we would be able to get out safely. If we had stayed there a little longer, we would probably not have been alive today. The Union govt and the Bihar govt supported us a lot. The Bihar govt evacuated us safely from there, brought us to India, and then arranged to send us all the way to our home. Many, many thanks to Bihar.”Asha Pandey said many pilgrims spent two days without food in Kathmandu. Hungry and thirsty, they worried only about survival and returning home.For Sarla, however, their arrival in Bihar brought an emotional moment of relief. “When we arrived at Sitamarhi on Aug 28, it was the day of Rakshabandhan. We felt as if we have found brothers in Bihar. Some of the woman pilgrims tied ‘rakhi’ to the people who were engaged in supporting us at Sitamarhi,” an emotional Sarla said.Sitamarhi additional district magistrate Brij Kishore Pandey said the district administration received information about the pilgrims’ arrival and immediately reached Bhittamore to welcome them and bring them safely to Sitamarhi.
