Goemkapronn desk
Bicholim: A family of five had a narrow escape in Bicholim when the car they were travelling in was crushed under a massive 200-year-old Banyan tree, which toppled over due to incessant rains.
The passengers belonged to the Mamlekar family of Muslimwada, Bicholim. The rescue operation involved the Bicholim Fire Department, medical services, and public works department. Private operators lasted for over 5 hours before the family could be extricated safely. The entire effort was coordinated by Chandrakant Shetye, Hon’ble MLA for Bicholim Constituency & supervised by Mr Kundan Falari, Chairperson, Bicholim Municipal Council.
Initial rescue efforts stalled when the JCBs employed could not budge the tree to enable the crane to get into action and for the gas cutters to be used. At this point, Chandrakant Shetye, Hon’ble MLA for Bicholim Constituency, approached Vedanta IOG for assistance and the Company responded immediately with flood lights and wheel loaders.
Vedanta IOG, wheel loader operators, Atmaram Tilve & Sonu Mandrekar, undertook the critical task of lifting the tree just enough to allow the other agencies to extricate the Mamlekars. They also ensured that despite the massive weight of the fallen tree, the wheel loader remained steady throughout and allowed the extrication of the family including that of a 14-month-old girl child, with Sara,24, the mother, being the last to be extricated after an ordeal of over 5 hours.
The family is now recovering from the shock and injuries sustained and has been discharged from the hospital. In a meeting between the two-wheel loader drivers and the Mamlekar family, the latter expressed their gratitude to all involved particularly to Atmaram Tilve and Sonu Mandrekar who made the vital intervention possible.
Expressing gratitude to Vedanta IOG, Sherfuddin Mamlekar, 61, in a meeting with Atmaram Tilve & Sonu Mandrekar stated, “We are much better now, but what we went through was terrible. We are thankful to those who rescued us, and they are with us here at the moment. I was rescued first, and it was only around 2 am that I learnt that my daughter-in-law Sara too had been finally rescued. It was then that I was finally relieved. Words fall short when I try & express my gratitude to all who helped us.”
Mr Kundan Falari, Chairperson of BMC, expressed that “It was a dreadful scenario and despite all our efforts we could not move the massive Banyan Tree even an inch. It seemed that the entire family would perish in the accident. It is at this point that Chandrakant Shetye, Hon’ble MLA for Bicholim Constituency, asked Vedanta IOG to help us out & they responded immediately. Atmaram & Sonu are responsible for saving five lives & they are heroes in the true sense of the word. Entire Bicholim is grateful to Vedanta & the two brave wheel loader operators.”
Speaking about the incident, Santosh Mandrekar, Head-North & Central Cluster, Vedanta IOG stated “Our team’s swift and effective response in Bicholim on that fateful night truly reflects the core values that Vedanta Sesa Goa stands for. Atmaram Tilve and Sonu Mandrekar’s calmness and focus under pressure contributed to saving lives and demonstrated our commitment to community service and safety. We are immensely proud of their dedication and the role they played in this successful rescue operation.”
Vedanta Sesa Goa has been involved in numerous community-related activities & has always been focused on promoting welfare, always having prioritised the interest of the community & the above stated incident is a perfect example of the synergy between community & corporate.
