Ludhiana, August 14
A 70-year-old farmer’s zeal to save his maize crop almost cost him his life. Tara Singh of Sainsowal Khurd near Macchiwara was marooned on a raised part of the Sutlej bed for 28 hours. The land had got water locked after the river swelled last evening. He was rescued by four youths in the evening today.
The elderly farmer, who remained on empty stomach all these hours, was helped by four youths, Hardev Singh, Jaspal Singh, Satnam Singh and Maskeen Singh, after the deputy commissioner of Nawanshahr asked them to take the plunge and rescue him.
Tara Singh had raised the crop on a raised part of the Sutlej bed left by the river. He went to harvest the crop along with two other farmers from the Sainsowal side yesterday afternoon. Unmindful of the water level rising in the river, they got busy with their work.
In the evening, they realised it was too much for the elderly farmer to swim. Two of them returned, as Tara Singh told them he would reach in the morning as water would recede.
However, the water level kept on rising. It was then that the villagers raised an alarm.
They informed the administration, but nobody could rescue him. Efforts to rescue him were on since morning but no success was achieved.
The DC even called for Army help. Then he encouraged four youths to help him out who launched the rescue operation from the Nawanshahr side, as the flow was very fast on the Sainsowal side.
The four used inflated tubes of truck tyres, jumped into the Sutlej from the Nawanshahr side and reached Tara Singh. He was pulled by Hardev Singh, who had an amputated arm.
Impressed by their bravery, the DC, Nawanshahr, announced to honour them on Independence Day tomorrow. Tara Singh was too tired to talk. He was shivering when he came out. He was offered fruit juice.
Later, he was whisked away by the Nawanshahr police.
