This pretty much shows the state of the families who have missing loved ones over the last 3 days, since the Glacial Flood tragedy struck. Many of the missing still haven’t yet made it to the official count with details trickling in daily. The aggrieved families still in a state of shock and disbelief on their misfortune, looking for non-existent answers. Everyday members of these families sit next to the tunnel being cleaned or near the river bank, hoping to see a mud extractor JCB returning with their loved one alive and well, but without luck. With each passing day, pain and hopelessness is growing with a prospect of uncertain future for a childless parent, orphan kid, and others missing their relatives.

We at Sewa International Bharat being the First Responders by the cruel fate to witness the tragedy in its entirety, saw its impact first-hand. We had much planned on Sunday(7th Feb 2021), with our Medical Camp and trainings for our upcoming e-Clinic for tele-consultation and tele-medicine, along with our agri-resource centres being readied, but it was not to be.

Few of our employees and beneficiaries too are missing their near and dear ones, mostly our SHG women and young sons, who had gone to pick fodder, graze cattle near the river, or for work at the ill-fated power plants on Rishi Ganga and Tapovan. Devi(name changed) is missing her only brother, Kamla (name changed) missing her young son, few of our SHGs women leaders missing in Ringi and Raini villages. These are members who have worked hard with us in good and bad times, but are in grip of this cruel destiny.

Fearing an encore of the Sunday mishap, a lot of families have gone into the forests. Our team is going to the villages and speaking to those who are in condition to speak or their neighbors for others. We are collecting their missing relative info, needs and possible support requirements for the future. We have provided medical help/check-up thru Sewa Aarogyam, supplied basic relief supplies(food, water) to the villagers, laborers cleaning tunnels, and those families camped in forests.

But the most important thing needed right now is empathy. To understand, listen, hug and perhaps cry to share the pain, as that is the best all we can do to lessen the pain. While waiting for the rescuers to bring back some good(or bad) news, what the beleaguered families desperately want is a closure to take their life forward. The longer it takes to trace the missing, longer would be the misery too.

Our team is readying for the long-haul to see the crisis through with our brethren and everyone's support is crucial. When faced with distress of this magnitude sometimes the words are so not right, so wrong …..

Nishant Aggarwal 

CEO Sewa International