Una: Heartbreaking scenes were witnessed as flashfloods inundated the funeral pyre of Sukram, who died of terminal illness, at his village Chadatgarh in Una district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. As villagers prepared to cremate Sukhram to bid him a final goodbye, the flashflood triggered by heavy rains almost put out the flames of the burning pyre sinking the hearts of the villagers.
Over 120 locals were rescued by the authorities during the deluge. Local sources said that on Thursday afternoon villagers started preparing to cremate Sukhram at the local cremation ground amid heavy rains. After the rain stopped, about 125 to 130 villagers reached the cremation ground where Sukhram's body was placed on the pyre.
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As soon as the funeral pyre was lit, there was a sudden deluge of rain water into the cremation ground overwhelming the pyre as well as the mourners. In no time, about 5 to 6 feet of water accumulated the cremation ground creating chaotic scenes as the mourners jostled against each other for safe locations. In order to save their lives, the villagers had to leave the pyre and climb on the nearby roofs.
Some of the villagers also broke the walls of the cremation ground to drain the flood water from the ground, however the gushing water was too overwhelming for the villagers. Later, the locals sent a SOS to DC Una Raghav Sharma about the matter. Soon a rescue team led by SDM Una Vishwa Dev Mohan Chauhan rushed to the spot.
Following the directions by the SDM, the flood water from the cremation ground was drained with the help of a bulldozer much to the relief of the locals. During the rescue operation which lasted for about one and a half to two hours, all the villagers were taken out safely from the cremation ground. As the troubled water receded, the villagers had a sigh of relief as Sukhram's ashes were immersed in a calmer stream.
Local resident Zipu Thind said that the inundation of the cremation ground is a persistent problem about which the administration has time and again been approached but to no avail.
