Chennai, July 21, 2023
Dr. Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman of Data Analytics, Indian National Congress, and a political economist from Tamil Nadu, has helped save the lives of twelve architecture students from Tamil Nadu, who were caught between a major landslide and the flooding Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, by promptly getting the chief minister of the state to direct rescue operations.
The students had travelled to Himachal Pradesh to celebrate their graduation, but their trip was cut short due to extreme weather conditions in the state. The students were on their way to Chhattisgarh from where they were hoping to catch a flight to Chennai. The disaster struck while they were en route to Chhattisgarh, recently. A large rock rolling down a hill hit their moving vehicle at a village called Kut. Fortunately, the driver, a local, skillfully steered the vehicle to safety, preventing it from being engulfed by the landslide.
However, their ordeal wasn’t over yet. The swelling Baes River made it impossible for them to continue their journey forward, and the blocked road due to the landslide meant they couldn’t go back to a safer location. Trapped between the raging river and the landslide, the students found themselves in a precarious situation. Making the situation worse, the area plunged into darkness due to power supply disruptions, and the only nearby telephone tower collapsed in the floods. Without any road access and a signal, the students were cut off from the world. Their whereabouts remained unknown. For two days and a night, the students, along with the villagers, endured the harsh conditions in Aut, relying on whatever food they had brought with them. The relentless rains added to their plight, leaving them in a dire situation.
Fortunately, amidst the desperation, one of the students’ mobile phones caught a signal. Seizing the opportunity, Ms. Kavisha, one of the students, made a desperate call to her parents in Chennai. The concerned parents immediately reached out to Dr. Chakravarty. Upon receiving their distress call, Dr. Chakravarty reached out to Mr. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, who promptly instructed the disaster relief team to initiate a search and rescue operation for the stranded students.
Within a matter of hours, a helicopter located the students and safely airlifted them to secure ground. As the rain subsided, the rescue team also cleared the landslide debris and reopened the road, restoring access to the village. Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts, the youngsters reached Tamil Nadu by flight.
“We were scared and lost all our hope, as soon there would be no food, and we were expecting to wait for one more week for any help to arrive. However, thanks to the timely intervention of Dr. Praveen Chakravarty, we were rescued and are now safe,” Kavisha said.
In his comments, Dr. Praveen Chakravarty, said, “The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister personally saw to it that the rescue team reached the students instantly and followed it up till the students were sent back to Tamil Nadu safely. On my behalf and on the behalf of the Tamil students, I profusely thank the Chief Minister for his prompt response.”