They walked 8km in muddy waters

For K P Manjunath, Jammu and Kashmir was never an unfamiliar place. As part of his business, the 55-year-old tour operator and resident of Sahakarnagar had conducted many tours to the Valley and had himself visited the state several times to connect with local operators.
But not any more. Especially, after an 8-km trek in muddy waters and on a hungry stomach.An 18-member group that also included Manjunath’s family is among the trickle of survivors landing in Bangalore. Reaching home on Thursday, Manjunath said the state machinery there is not equipped to handle any calamity. Manjunath and his family got stuck in their Srinagar hotel on September 6. “We struggled for food for a few days. Then we decided to leave. The locals got us a boat to reach an elevated road. The waters were muddy. There was no way we could walk with luggage as the spot where rescue helicopters were landing was 8km away,” he said.
Anuradha, Manjunath’s wife, said they requested the hotel to keep their luggage in safe custody till they returned. And the long trek began. “We could see people, especially children, crying in houses located in low-lying areas. We fell on the way many times. When we reached the spot, there were thousands waiting for the chopper,” she added. They decided to take shelter for one more night but there was no accommodation. “One hotel owner gave the women space in a room meant for guards. The next day, another spot was identified to airlift passengers and we rushed there. It was a long wait till 4pm before we could finally leave,” said Manjunath.
Officials from Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi said over 150 tourists from the state have been rescued since Thursday. Many have left for Bangalore. “While some have made their own bookings, we are helping others whose travel plans have been disrupted,” said CG Suprasanna, joint resident commissioner, Karnataka Bhavan.