They walked for miles on slippery trails, crossing cascading streams and braving landslides.
Many were aged men and women, whose lives had gone awry in the wake of the torrential rains that lashed Kodagu district in Karnataka, bordering Kerala, claiming at least 17 lives and leaving a trail of destruction since August 12.
Several people were carried on shoulders to the relief camps, where they sat waiting for their names to be called to receive food and other relief materials.
The residents of Kodagu not only lost their homes due to the incessant rains and floods, but were also cut off from the rest of the world due to frequent landslides.
Since August 16, the villagers living in and around Madikeri were rescued and taken to the relief camps.
The much-needed support was a result of a joint relief-and-rescue operation undertaken by the RSS-affiliated Seva Bharati and the Usmaniya Charitable Trust (Bhadravati), an NGO run by Muslims.
Talking to PTI at a relief camp here, Anjali, a resident of Kodagu, said, "We feel so relieved and confident about life...We had lost all hope...Just then, the Seva Bharati and the Usmaniya Charitable Trust came to our rescue and provided succour."
One of them, Lakshmi, said, "My house has collapsed. I hope the government will help people like me."
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