Mysuru: The Kodagu district administration took time off to thank the army team from Kerala which returned on Wednesday after undertaking major rescue operations endangering their lives during the rains last week.
The team crossed fast flowing and overflowing rivers and streams in rafts and walked seven km amid heavy rain to rescue 58 people from Nidugumba village in Virajpet taluk. The team, led by Lieutenant Colonel Arun Prakash from the Defence Security Corps Centre, Kannur, Kerala had arrived here on August 7.
Kodagu DC Ms Annies Kanmani joy and other officers of district administration presented them certificates of appreciation and souvenirs too. Lt Col Arun Prakash said the operation to rescue 58 people from Nidugumba was something he would always remember. "We got the information about people stranded at Nidugumba at 9.30 am on August 8. Rafting is normally done in familiar areas which was not the case here. Usually there are life guards moving ahead of the raft but we did not have them here. And nobody knew the exact number of people we had to rescue" he said.
Apart from those rescued at Nidugumba, the army team also rescued 63 people with the help of the NDRF team from Kaanooru and was involved in the rescue of eight people in Virajpet. Also four police teams of Kodagu with policemen specially trained in rescue operations, rescued 1,258 people from dangerous conditions.
