Goemkarponn desk
BICHOLIM:
The Bicholim Municipal Council organised, as part of the 78th Independence Day celebrations, a felicitation ceremony for the individuals involved in the rescue operation at Bicholim on the night of -14 Jul 24. The ceremony was organised as part of a special segment & was held at the Municipal Ground, Bicholim.
The rescue team comprising fire department personnel, Vedanta wheel loader operators and a private crane operator were instrumental in saving 6 lives of a family trapped in their care under a massive 200-year-old banyan tree. The successful rescue operation was closely coordinated and supervised by Dr Chandrakant Shetye & Mr Premedra Shet, Hon’ble MLA for Bicholim & Mayem respectively. The timely and swift action by the MLA helped mobilise the civil administration as well as private entities and proved crucial in saving the lives of the family including that of a young girl child.
The felicitation ceremony, witnessed by over 800 community members, was a significant highlight of the Independence Day event. Shri Kundan Falari, Chairperson of BMC, along with other BMC members presented the brave hearts carrying out the rescue with a ceremonial shawl and commemorative plaque. The group comprised, fire dept. personnel – HavArjun Gavaskar, Fire Fighters Arshad Sawant, Sunil Gawas, Sandeep Gawas, Anup Naik, Vedanta wheel loader operators Atmaram Tilve and Sonu Mandrekar and private crane operator Kedar Prabhugaokar.
Mr. Sherfuddin Mamlekar, 61, a member of the rescued family, while addressing the gathering at the Municipal Ground said “My family and I are extremely fortunate to have survived the crash of the banyan tree on our car. We went through a terrible ordeal, and it is only due to the efforts of everyone that we are alive and in front of you. I thank everyone for their support and am grateful for their efforts made on the night of the incident. Their courage and dedication have restored my faith in humanity.”
The recognition accorded to the rescue team is well deserved and all individuals and agencies instrumental in the success of the operation played a vital role in saving lives.
