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They plunge into danger

The flood rescue unit of the District Home Guards has won many laurels

NATURALS IN WATER The unit was kept as a standby during the Mahamastakabhishekha at Shravanabelagola

What would you do when faced with swirling floodwaters? Run to safety, of course. Ask the same question to the young members of the District Home Guards Flood Rescue Unit and they will tell you: jump right in.

Often called upon by the district administration to assist revenue and police officials in tackling emergency situations arising out of flash floods, this unit has, over a period of time, come to acquire a daredevil tag within the District Home Guards unit.

Comprising mainly young men from the local Mogaveera (fishing) community, taking to water comes naturally to the unit's members. They are quite the blue-eyed boys of Shivaprasad Rai, the District Home Guards Commandant. "Flood rescue is not easy. Although the personnel in the unit are drawn from the Mogaveera community, it is only through rigorous training that they remain alert and quick. None of my boys ever take training lightly and this is seen whenever they get into action. The command with which they manage situation even in difficult circumstances is amazing," he says.

Stationed at Bantwal, Mulki and Mangalore, these units are fully equipped to rush to the call of duty at any time. They are also trained in first aid. "Manoeuvring a boat in flooded areas is an art in itself and calls for physical and mental alertness at all times. Besides, it also involves dealing with a bunch of highly anxious people," says Rai.

He adds with pride it was this unit that was kept as a standby during the recent Mahamastakabhishekha at Shravanabelagola. "They were constantly patrolling the kalyani at the foothills of the shrine. The celebrations went off without a single incident despite the big numbers who came there." The unit was also pressed into service during a major boating tragedy in Gulbarga recently when the divers retrieved the trapped bodies.

JAIDEEP SHENOY

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