As administration struggles to restore normalcy in cyclone-hit areas, coastal villagers have been set back by several years
The Telangi familys roof was blown away in Malsai village
Among the many places worst hit by Cyclone Nisarga in Raigad is the Roha taluka where villagers, snatched of power and water supply, are forced to walk several kilometres to fetch drinking water, wash clothes at nearby rivers or lakes and finish meals before dark as there is a dearth of candles. Those affected belong to Yashwant Khar, Sanegaon, Malsai and Bhuneshwar villages.
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Residents were seen carrying pots of drinking water on their heads. "All the electricity poles collapsed and wires got snapped. We all have been living in the dark since June 2," said Bharati Sunil Divkar of Yashwant Khar. Shreedhar Dhumal, 24, was filling a huge water container at a pump on Wednesday. "I run a poultry farm and I need lots of water for cleaning," Dhumal said.
Villagers carry pots of drinking water home from a pump
"Several roofs and asbestos sheets over shanties flew away in the cyclone. Thankfully no one got injured as everyone was told to stay inside," said Swapnali Santosh Bhoir, sarpanch of Roha village.
"Administrative officers and talathi too visited the villages in Roha to conduct panchanamas to know the level of damage," she added.
The MSEB Maharashtra State Electricity Board told villagers that restoration of power may take over 15 days.
The ravaged local village school in Malsai
"Concrete electricity poles collapsed and iron poles twisted at several locations. Electricity wires snapped as trees got uprooted. We have contacted the electricity department to restore supply," said Santosh Bhoir, who brought a generator to supply water to Yashwant Khar and Sanegaon.
"We have been running this generator for at least six hours every day to supply 40,000 litres water. The water is meant to wash clothes and utensils," said Bhoir, adding that transporting diesel to run the generator amid the lockdown is also a big task.
Escape by a whisker
mid-day also visited Malsai village, also battling with COVID-19, where a nine-member family escaped by a hair-s breadth when their asbestos-sheet roof and the angles supporting them came off.
Villagers collect water from a pump in Yashwant Khar village
"After the gusty winds started, we all got extremely terrified. The children started shivering. We went to the neighbouring housing to take shelter and saw the asbestos sheets flying away like birds. The wind dropped the sheets around 30 feet away on the clay roofs of nearby huts," recalled Rahul Ramesh Telangi at Malsai village.
His wife, Rupali, said, "Minutes later, the iron angle on which the asbestos sheets were placed also came off, damaged the walls and fell nearby. Thankfully we were not inside the house, it would have been fatal."
Villagers collect water from a pump in Yashwant Khar village
The belongings of the Telangi family were left exposed to the strong wind and rainwater that filled the bedroom and kitchen. The debris is still piled up inside the house. The kitchen has been shifted to a less-damaged room.
The family has shifted all belongings to a nearby school and spends the nights at a temple. "Monsoon has already begun and we need to urgently repair the house. With all migrants gone, there are no labourers to do the repair work. Also, with no electricity, welding work cannot be done," said Rupali, adding that no government official has visited due to the COVID-19 cases.
"One person tested positive and his family members were quarantined. Though the COVID-19 patient has recovered, no government official has come to visit," said resident Ravina Malushare. "The electricity department has told us that it will take another 15-20 days to restore power in our village."
No cooking after sunset
Villagers repair an electricity pole in Malsai village
"We have to cook food before the sunset so that we can finish our dinner early and sleep because there are hardly any candles available in the local shop. We have to go to Roha city which is 4 km away to charge our cellphones. Also, we have to walk several kilometres to fetch drinking water. We go to the nearby Kundalika River to bathe and wash clothes. It is really terrible for all of us. An eight months pregnant woman also has to walk with us to wash clothes and bathe in the river," Malushare added.
The Telangi family has been sleeping at a temple in Malsai since the cyclone damaged their house.
Another villager, Prakash Marathe, 45, got severely injured in the cyclone as a flying piece of asbestos hit his head and hand and a nearby wall collapsed on him. "He was bleeding profusely so we took him on a motorbike to a nearby clinic. His head has eight stitches and his hand four. He is recovering now," said Marathe-s brother-in-law Vinshu.
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