Karnataka floods: A boy and his dog are rescued by the NDRF at a flooded district
Amid heavy rains in Karnataka, relief workers are finding stories of hope and survival. One such example is a photo tweeted by the chief of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF Satya Pradhan that captures the fighting spirit and compassion of people in the face of hardships.
"This image will stay etched in my memories," says the NDRF Director General in the tweet that shows a boy holding his pet dog as they sat on an orange inflatable boat, surrounded by rescue workers, at a flooded district in Karnataka.
"This shepherd boy was rescued by @NDRFHQ from raging waters of Krishna. He was sad to leave many sheep behind, but had presence of mind to bring the dog so sheep graze freely & dog is fed by him. Happy to have helped the boy," Mr Pradhan tweeted.
The shepherd is in coveralls as protection amid the coronavirus pandemic. The rescuers are also in masks.
Heavy rains are continuing in parts of Karnataka. The coastal districts, some northern districts and Kodagu have been badly affected by thunderstorms.
Heavy rains in Karnataka have flooded several districts
The quantity of rain has lessened to a certain extent, but it will be a while before things get back to normal, weather officials have said.
The NDRF teams are out in different regions to rescue stranded people.
The weather office said rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places over coastal Karnataka, south interior Karnataka and north districts of the state. Landslides have affected Kodagu district.
Last week, the state government released water from several dams after heavy rains led water level to rise and put villages along riverbanks at high risk of flooding. The state has released Rs 50 crore so far for flood relief and more will be released.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has asked ministers to remain in their constituencies and visit damaged areas. He also asked them to run relief distribution and other measures. The ministers are free to take independent decisions on emergency work, Mr Yediyurappa has said.