News Reading Practice #81
(100 Day Challenge)
'WE WAITED FOR DAWN, HOUR AFTER HOUR': SURVIVOR RECALLS THE NIGHT LANDSLIPS DEVOURED VILANGAD
Dominic Joseph's house is among the 14 residential
buildings pulverised by the landslips that struck the village in
Vanimal grama panchayat in rural Kozhikode early on July 30
Aabha Raveendran
VILANGAD (KOZHIKODE)
For a few moments, Dominic Joseph stifled his sobs,
recalling the terrifying
night the earth swallowed the neighbourhood where he was born and raised in, in a matter of minutes.
"We waited for dawn, hour after hour. It was around
7 a.m. when the first light began to filter in
through the dense, dark clouds amid relentless rain. With heavy hearts, we realised we had lost everything except our lives," he
said.
The 60-year-old automobile engineer's house was among the
14 residential buildings pulverised by the landslips that struck Vilangad in
Vanimal grama panchayat in rural Kozhikode early on July 30. The village was
devoured by the hills like a predator consuming its prey.
The once vibrant streets are now a barren wasteland, with
debris scattered as far as the eye can see.
"I was sick that day and could not sleep. That is
the only reason we are alive today," said Mr. Joseph, still battling the mild fever that has not left him.
The unusual sound of water in the nearby stream at around
3 a.m. was what first caught his attention. He saw that the stream had by then turned fierce, pulling
down the embankment of the road on the opposite side. When the three
large teak trees behind his house fell into the
stream, he heaved a sigh of relief
that they had not fallen into his compound. But, his relief did not last long.
"My son was recording the changing mood of the
stream and saw that it was getting out of control. We barely had time to pick up the kids and move to the neighbouring compound
before our house too gave
in. We moved to
the next house and then the next, alerting everyone to move to safety. By then,
the landslip had repeated several times," he said.
As many as 13 families, including that of Mr. Joseph,
were cut off from Vilangad town by then. It was only by evening
that they were rescued and moved to safety.
His two-storey house on the roadside near the Manjacheeli
bridge was Mr. Joseph's pride and joy. His craze for
vehicles was evident from the three cars and three motorbikes parked in
his porch. "I had a 24-year-old 'Splendor' bike. Everyone was in awe of it as it looked brand new after all these years.
That's how I took care of it," he said, his voice quivering. Except for one car and the bike, the other
vehicles are yet to be found.
Mr. Joseph has been trying to claim the insurance amount
for his house and vehicles, but the demand from the insurance agency to furnish
a notary attested affidavit that he has lost them all has irked him. "Can't they see what has happened?
Should I give them proof now?" he said.
Mr. Joseph's family, comprising his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, is at
a rehabilitation camp in the locality at present.
"We do not even have the children's birth
certificates. Everything, including our valuable documents and gold, was in a
metal cupboard that is yet to be found. We have nothing but the clothes on our
back," he said.
Mr. Joseph, like the 500-odd survivors of the tragedy, is striving to
get a hold on his life, but the hurdles before him seem rather insurmountable. "We do not want to live here anymore. The
memories are too haunting," he said, as he hoped for a fair
rehabilitation package.
Photo Caption: Trail of destruction: The makeshift bridge at
Manjacheeli that has been built on Dominic Joseph's property. (Right) The
remains of a motor bike in Joseph's plot. K. RAGESH
_______________________________________________
DAWN:
The first light of morning. (à´ª്à´°à´ാà´¤ം)
SURVIVOR:
A person who lives through a disaster. (അപകടത്à´¤െ à´…à´¤ിà´œീà´µിà´š്à´š ആള്)
RECALL:
To remember. (à´“à´°്à´®്à´®ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
LANDSLIP:
A landslide; earth movement. (മണ്à´£ിà´Ÿിà´š്à´šിà´²്, ഉരുà´³്à´ªൊà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´²്)
DEVOUR:
To completely engulf or consume. (à´µിà´´ുà´™്à´™ുà´•, നശിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
PULVERISE: To crush into tiny pieces. (തകര്à´•്à´•ുà´•, à´ªൊà´Ÿിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
STIFLE:
To suppress or hold back. (à´•à´Ÿിà´š്ചമര്à´¤്à´¤ുà´•, à´…à´Ÿà´•്à´•ിà´ª്à´ªിà´Ÿിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
SOB
(n/v): To cry noisily. (à´¤േà´™്ങല്)
TERRIFYING:
Extremely frightening. (à´à´¯à´ª്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´¨്à´¨, à´ീà´•à´°à´®ാà´¯)
SWALLOW:
To engulf completely. (à´µിà´´ുà´™്à´™ുà´•)
NEIGHBOURHOOD:
Local area around one's home. (à´µീà´Ÿിà´¨് à´šുà´±്à´±ുà´®ുà´³്à´³ à´ª്à´°à´¦േà´¶ം)
IN A MATTER OF MINUTES/HOURS: Very quickly. (à´®ിà´¨ിà´±്à´±ുà´•à´³്à´•്à´•ുà´³്à´³ിà´²്)
FILTER
IN: To gradually appear or enter. ((à´ª്à´°à´•ാà´¶ം) à´…à´°ിà´š്à´šിറങ്à´™ുà´•)
RELENTLESS:
Persistent or unceasing. (ഇടതടവിà´²്à´²ാà´¤െ)
HEAVY
HEART: Deep sadness. (à´¦ുഃà´–ം)
REALISE: To understand clearly. (à´¤ിà´°ിà´š്à´šà´±ിà´¯ുà´•, മനസ്à´¸ിà´²ാà´•്à´•ുà´•)
PREDATOR:
An animal that kills and eats other animals (മറ്à´±ുà´³്ളവയെ
à´µേà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´¯ാà´Ÿുà´¨്à´¨ à´œീà´µി)
CONSUME:
To eat or use up completely or to absorb completely. (à´µിà´´ുà´™്à´™ുà´•)
PREY:
a victim of someone or something. (ഇര)
VIBRANT:
full of life and energy. (à´šà´Ÿുലമാà´¯)
BARREN
WASTELAND: A desolate, unproductive, and empty area with little to no
vegetation or life. (തരിà´¶ുà´ൂà´®ി)
DEBRIS:
Scattered remains of destroyed buildings. (അവശിà´·്à´Ÿà´™്ങള്)
AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN/COULD SEE: Extending to the farthest visible point. (à´•à´£്à´£െà´¤്à´¤ാ à´¦ൂà´°à´¤്à´¤ോà´³ം)
BATTLING: Struggling with. (à´ªോà´°ാà´Ÿിà´•്à´•ൊà´£്à´Ÿ്, à´•à´·്à´Ÿà´ª്à´ªെà´Ÿ്à´Ÿുà´•ൊà´£്à´Ÿ്)
TURN
FIERCE: Become intense or violent. (à´¤ീà´µ്à´°à´®ാà´µുà´•)
PULL
DOWN: To cause to collapse or destroy. (തകര്à´•്à´•ുà´•)
EMBANKMENT:
A raised structure to prevent flooding. (തട, à´šിà´±, വരമ്à´ª്)
TEAK
TREE: Hardwood trees known for their strength and durability. (à´¤േà´•്à´•്
മരം)
FALL
INTO: Drop or tumble into. (മറിà´ž്à´žുà´µീà´´ുà´•)
HEAVE
A SIGH: To release a deep breath of relief or sadness. (à´¦ീà´°്à´˜
à´¶്à´µാà´¸ം à´µിà´Ÿുà´•)
RELIEF:
A feeling of reassurance or alleviation. (ആശ്à´µാà´¸ം)
LAST LONG: Remain effective or continue for a long time. (à´¨ീà´£്à´Ÿുà´¨ിà´²്à´•്à´•ുà´•)
PICK
UP: To lift or collect something (à´Žà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´•)
GIVE IN: To yield or surrender (à´•ീà´´à´Ÿà´™്à´™ുà´•)
CUT
OFF: To stop the supply of something (à´µിà´š്à´›േà´¦ിà´•്à´•à´ª്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´•)
RESCUE: To save (à´°à´•്à´·à´ª്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•)
PRIDE:
A feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction (à´…à´ിà´®ാà´¨ം)
CRAZE:
A temporary and intense enthusiasm for something. (à´•à´®്à´ªം, à´്à´°à´®ം)
EVIDENT:
Clearly visible or obvious; apparent. (à´ª്à´°à´•à´Ÿà´®ാà´¯)
IN
AWE OF: Feeling reverence or admiration mixed with wonder. (à´…à´®്പരപ്à´ªോà´Ÿെ,
à´…à´¤ിശയത്à´¤ോà´Ÿെ)
QUIVER: To tremble or shake with a slight motion (à´µിറയ്à´•്à´•ുà´•)
AFFIDAVIT:
A written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, used as evidence in
court. (à´ª്à´°à´®ാà´£ം)
IRK: Annoy or irritate. (à´šൊà´Ÿിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
COMPRISE:
To be made up of; to include. (ഉള്à´•്à´•ൊà´³്à´³ുà´•, à´…à´Ÿà´™്à´™ിà´¯ിà´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)
REHABILITATION: The process of restoring someone to health or normal life through training (à´ªുനരധിà´µാà´¸ം)
TRAGEDY -
A very sad event or situation (à´¦ുà´°à´¨്à´¤ം)
STRIVE
- To devote serious effort or energy: endeavor. (à´ª്à´°à´¯ാസപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´•)
INSURMOUNTABLE
- Incapable of being surmounted, passed over, or overcome (മറിà´•à´Ÿà´•്à´•ാൻ
à´¸ാà´§ിà´•്à´•ാà´¤്à´¤)
