News Reporter
Guwahati, Assam – As parts of Guwahati remain submerged due to severe flooding, Hiralal Sarkar's search for his missing eight-year-old son, Abhinash, entered its third day on Saturday. Abhinash fell into an open stormwater drain in the hilly Jyotinagar area on Thursday evening after slipping from his father's scooter.
Despite the ongoing natural disaster, Hiralal has tirelessly scoured the drains, determined to find his son. The state machinery has also launched a comprehensive search operation, employing various machines and sniffer dogs to aid in the search.
Hiralal's relentless efforts led to the discovery of his son's sandals, which he identified and handed over to the police for verification. "I have been searching with an iron rod and found my son's sandals. I cannot find him alone. The government must use their resources to locate my boy," Hiralal told reporters, holding up the sandals he retrieved from the drain.
He continued to search through water, slush, and garbage, armed with a stick and an iron rod. Hiralal, clad in a saffron T-shirt and black shorts, has been wading through the flooded drains for the last two days, spending nights on a shop's veranda under a mosquito net.
Abhinash went missing while returning home with his father amid a heavy shower. Their scooter skidded, and the boy, who was riding pillion, slipped and fell into the open drain. Hiralal mentioned seeing his son's hand in the drain a couple of times but was unable to grab hold of him.
In a show of support, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the Jyotinagar area on Saturday to meet the parents of Abhinash Sarkar. The Chief Minister extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved family and visited the incident site to take stock of the ongoing search operation.
The Chief Minister’s visit highlighted the gravity of the situation and the government's commitment to locating Abhinash.
Abhinash Sarkar, son of Hiralal Sarkar, is a resident of Shyamnagar in Bhawanipur of the Noonmati area of Guwahati. The tragic incident has left the family and community devastated, with hopes pinned on the ongoing search efforts.
Multiple agencies, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire and emergency services, and the municipal corporation, are coordinating the search operation. An official stated, "Search operations continued late into Friday night and resumed Saturday morning. We have used sniffer dogs, excavators, and super suckers at different locations."
Efforts have been concentrated on mapping the possible flow of the drain water, with covered sections being lifted for a thorough search. Meanwhile, several areas in Guwahati, such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, and Rukminigaon, remain inundated.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported that over 7,000 people in two revenue circles are affected by the urban flood. The state is grappling with extensive flooding, impacting over 24.5 lakh people across 30 districts. Major rivers continue to flow above the danger level in several locations.
The flood has claimed 52 lives this year, with an additional 12 fatalities due to landslides and storms. Despite the overwhelming challenges, Hiralal Sarkar's unwavering determination to find his son amidst the chaos stands as a poignant testament to a father's love and resilience.