Planning and Induction

The entire “ghat” section was adversely affected and hence it was decided that express way and NH 17 (Panvel – Goa Highway) should be used to avoid getting stranded due to break in road surface enroute.
It was anticipated that a camp for about 200 victims may be required. The medicines would have to be for water related ailments, snakebites and superficial wounds and to treat Cholera, Dysentery, Food Poisoning, Cough/ Cold and Fever, Malaria. Thus, medicines, rations and other essentials were bought. Camp setting related items were packed. A medium sized truck was engaged through Nilesh Sambhus. The truck was loaded by the afternoon, Volunteers were briefed and inoculated. Transportation included the Medium Sized hired truck and a personal van of Colonel P P Marathe.
Liaisonand Movement: Liaison had been established with Residential Deputy Collector (RDC) of Raigad District and contact point at the outskirts of Mahad town was set. Movement timings were intimated, and mobile communications were set. Movement started at 5 pm. It was anticipated that due to continuous heavy rains, the movement might take 7 hours. But, the visibility being low, the team reached the Contact Point at Mahad town by 1 am on 2nd August.
On reaching Mahad town outskirts, the Tehsildar of Mahad informed that the town was under water. The typical feature of Mahad town is that Savitri River flows through Mahad. During high tides in the sea, the sea water gets into the riverbed and outflow of river water gets blocked and thus, there is a reverse flooding that occurs. When the team reached Mahad at 1 am at night, it was “High Tide” time and due to reverse flooding, Mahad township was largely submerged, including the office of Tehsildar. The Tehsildar advised the team to spend that night on the main highway and get into Mahad town only when the water receded during low tide. Thus, the entire team spent that night on the road-side of NH 17.
On 2nd Aug 2005, the team was asked to establish camp in Ambedkar Bhavan. The team downloaded the material and released the transport. But, in the mean time, the RDC requested the team to shift to Poladpur because there was emergent need there. He provided transport and the team shifted to Poladpur by 2nd August evening and was accommodated in the premises of Tehsil Hospital at Poladpur.
Camp Setting: The team was provided with two rooms and a long verandah to set up the camp. One room was used as kitchen and ration stores. The other room was used as camp and medical stores and the verandah was used for sleeping accommodation of the volunteers.The camp was set up overnight and the team was ready to respond the next morning.
Liaison and Planning with Tehsildar of Poladpur: From 2^nd August onwards, every morning, the team coordinated and planned the day’s tasks and complete them by evening and gave feedback to the Tehsildar.
Operations:

• (a) Two landslides were cleared and two villages brought within road communications.
• (b) A makeshift bridge was constructed over a collapsed bridge and seven villages were brought within reachable mode. The teams waded through flooded river, went on the other side of Paithan collapsed bridge and treated patients of dysentery and diarrhoea. Rations were provided.
• (c) Cleaning of the road in Poladpur town.
• (d) People from Budhgaon (astride Kashedi Ghat) were evacuated, in anticipation of a landslide. Sure enough, there was a landslide a day later. These people were accommodated in a make-shift camp in a ZP school premises.
• (e) A medical camp was run in a village near Budhgaon. Medical teams provided medical facilities in three more villages.

The operations continued till 8th Aug 2005 and the team returned thereafter. The tents that were pitched were returned by Poladpur Tehsildar after about one month in tattered condition.

Conclusion

The experience of Poladpur was very rich in terms of enhancing capabilities of the team. No donations were sought for these operations as there was some left over money which was fruitfully used.