Killer Lake

 

#SURVIVOR, Chapter one

A day before the incident

What does a man desire the most? Well, the best he can do for his family, is for their health, education, and providing daily necessities. My intentions were the same. With a heavy heart, I was planning to send Nanki to study in the city of Bhubaneswar; so that she can get the best that she couldn't in this small village, Ganjam. 

I could not wait for tomorrow morning so that I can pray for Nanki's well-being at ‘Taratarini.’ (famous temple of shakti). As I did every week. I finished my work early at the farm so I rode the bicycle to 'Mangalbazar' (weekly market). Mangalbazaar was a place where citizens and tribes together sold their products. I planned to look over the market and meet my old friend, Kamaz. He was a fruit seller and stayed in the neighborhood.

"Kamaz, the market looks overcrowded," I commented; after saying that I soon remembered that day after tomorrow Odia new year (also known as Pana Sankranti) will be celebrated. Odisha people celebrated the festival with songs and danced together. Kamaz and I sell the fruits. In a few hours soon, it would be dark I was riding the bicycle and Kamaz was sitting behind holding a few remaining fruits. The cycle was punctured so we walked home. The bazaar and village were a few kilometres apart. I was indeed tired and just somehow wanted to reach home quickly.

 after reaching home still, I felt uneasy. Some strange feeling was tugging me. I freshened up. That's why I ate less of my dinner Nanki insisted "Appa eat properly, tomorrow you have to work hard." later then I went to sleep. Nanki was still studying. ( Nanki, a diligent, and hardworking medical aspirant). I still remember when a 7 years ago Nanki lost her mother because of breast cancer. I know a daughter cannot share everything with her father. But I know she always felt the absence of her mother.

  I woke up around 7 am. I smelled something terrible. Suddenly I was feeling hot and sweating a lot. I felt oxygen disappearing from the air. My breath would not come out. I could not move my legs even a few inches. My arms had some wounds, I didn't know how I got these wounds. I couldn’t speak a word. 

But somehow, I gathered the courage to walk near the pot of water. 

My arms were hurting while I drank. I just wanted to scream but I couldn't. I just wanted to reach out to someone but I couldn't. I saw Nanki sleeping. Then suddenly I heard a deafening sound of something. It was like a blast, an outburst. It was not clear what broke. Was it a landslide, an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption or it could be something more than that? It was around 7.30 am and I felt the inevitable wrong situation. Nanki never slept around this time and she used to study in the corner of the room. The books were lying here and there. She was sleeping as a person was in eternal sleep. I had no clue what was happening. 

I ran madly in the direction where Nanki was resting. I called her name multiple times "Nanki, Nanki wake up." I tried endlessly to wake her up but I just couldn't. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. What is happening, what I am going to do. I felt catastrophic and suffocated at the same time. Nanki was the only person I had left, my precious, dear daughter was lying down with her innocent face. Suddenly someone was knocking vigorously at the door "bhaina"(brother in Odisha) wake up, hurry up." I was astonished and just couldn't believe any of these things that were happening to me.

#Collateral Damage, Chapter two

I reached out for the door. It was Kamaz, in a shaky and panicked voice he screamed: "moveout if we stayed here surely we will be dead." I wept with a heavy heart. I could feel Nanki's pulses. I said: "I won't leave Nanki behind." both of us carried and took her with us. We were walking with weak legs, deoxygenated. I couldn't breathe it was almost as if the air was knocking me out. This particular day was blazingly hot.

 A thick layer of clouds appeared.  

The sky turned pitch-black. I saw more than five hundred people try to escape and perished on the road. Nothing stirs the heart so much as the sight of a fellow human being in distress. I saw flies had dropped dead. Some were panting and running with no sense of direction. We all were like walking dead people. Trees withered out. It was the crisis where man's soul cry.

 I was horrified to see young children lying dead. More than thousands of people had died. Double the number of animals. In the Tampara lake, the water level rose. The beautiful lake seemed toxic.  It was all my ears could hear from the crowd. We just walked for nearly half a day with no food and no water. No one knew what was happening. After walking for more than two minutes I fainted.

It was not certain death. But a ghastly experience. I found myself in the medical camps. The condition of the camp was not at all pleasant. It was half-covered with a cloth. I was wearing an oxygen mask. "Almost 2 days you slept," said the charge nurse. Several medical buses arrived. I could hear the siren my legs had multiple bruises, cuts and medicine applied over them. I was starving and thirsty. The sight outside seemed a lot like a bad dream. 

Soon the doctor came and checked my pulses, and my oxygen level. "you were strong enough to survive...outburst" said the doctor. Because of the shock, I just didn't utter a single word. After about one hour somehow, I ate roti dal. For that moment or so I wasn't in the sense. I felt dizzy and drowsy. Nanki was still missing from the sight of my eyes. I ran out of the medical shelter but still no sign of Nanki and Kamaz. I was running here and there. I don't know if my attempts are futile. And then suddenly I collapsed. 

 when I collapsed, I just wanted to know that I finally found Nanki beside me. I recalled all those peaceful times. The memories of her childhood. I saw her running and I was chasing her. I recalled when she first time said "Appa." the memories of her are mountains that I am walking towards. 

How I felt during that time is difficult to explain. Even words failed me.

 I can't surpass my feelings. I thought I was in a dream. I woke up the next day in the afternoon with tears in my eyes. I was searching for Nanki at every possible place in the camp. While I was searching I saw government people blocking many reporters to enter the camp. The government is either unsure of what happened or is hiding the real data. And both the possibilities were equally distressed.

There was a man who was keeping the count of dead, missing, and survivors. And I could not see Nanki's name. 

Then a village man, Rampuri was moaning. The moment he saw the list he fell to the ground. He could bearly hear anyone. He said that his 7-month pregnant wife died. He knows about the pain I was going through. I lost all my senses. I just moaned unknown of what is happening. I questioned my existence. Only minus the fire-that place looked a lot like hell.

Existence, Chapter three

Each night when I go to sleep and lie restless on blank sheets, self-loathing all over again because I lost all goals. I was neither dead nor alive. I was just existing with no family. I was sobbing all day long. My mental health becomes unstable. I just hoping that Nanki appears from somewhere. I was a single dad who did farming and did everything for my beloved daughter's upbringing. For me, time was stopped.  Everything was fading in the air of solitude. 

The world up looks bright and merry from here. With a lot of 'maybe' ...unaware, there was no hope of seeing peace but we shall see peace once again. As said mindset is everything during difficult times. It is always a constant conflict with inner demons screaming, crying, waiting for her.

Soon the reporters showed up. Many geologists, and scientists, asked us survivors numerous questions. They analysed the cause of the Limnic eruption at lake Tampara.

A reporter reporting** 'lake Tamara, a killer lake.' as we know the pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide in the water change into carbonic acid. The lake was supersaturated with carbon dioxide. The concentration of oxygen was reduced to zero. This created breathing problems, suffocating and nearly 1700 people lost their lives due to excess carbon dioxide that filled their lungs. One lake 'Tampara’ took away 1700 human lives and 3500 livestock, and innumerable dreams of the people. 

The limnic eruption is a rare natural disaster. The reason for the tragedy was investigated. No one saw this happening ever. As most of the time, the lake was stable and carbon dioxide remains in the lower layer. But on the final day of the tragedy, the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide was so high that suddenly all the gas exploded and came out of the lake. Today, the lake also poses a threat because of its natural wall weakening.   If you want to help to save thousands of peoples' lives please donate to the helpline number. **

It’s been four months since the incident happened. But still, it gave deep grief that even time can't heal. I was still not able to digest the fact that Nanki was missing. I am an unfortunate dad. I have not been home because of actions of cleaning the dead bodies, air, Tampara lake. I died each day making myself comfortable in that discomfort.  My financial condition just deteriorates day by day.   

**3 years later**

 14th April 1989

Now at Tampara lake to prevent a recurrence, degassing tubes were planted to maintain the oxygen and carbon dioxide level. A memorial garden was built for the people who died while sleeping. The Odia New Year’s Eve was celebrated. Many people were still mourning. For some, it was difficult to make a daily living. These painful years made all the survivors a soldier.  

Once the storm is over you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't be the same person. The struggle of being alive is never-ending. I lost my faith in god a long ago and now I'm left with no one to blame but me. But I still remember Nanki always said: "Appa being alive is blessing and curse at the same time. And if you are alive your purpose of being born is still incomplete yet."

-Roshni Varma