AIR kept Bhuj linked to the world

BHUJ, JAN. 31. It was the `Akashwani' of the killer earthquake striking Bhuj that mobilised the world to its rescue on the Black Friday.

The All India Radio (AIR) Aka `Akashwani' was the only source to raise the SOS for the devastated city when the worst-ever seismic catastrophe cut it off from the rest of the world.

Bruised, but firm, stood its building and broadcasting system breaking the news and also waking up the Government to rush to the aid of Bhuj by providing the important link between the district administration and the State Government headquarters at Gandhinagar, when telephones and all other modes of communications collapsed.

AIR not only kept repeatedly broadcasting the news every 10 minutes through special bulletins, it also facilitated the district administration and send its SOS messages to the State headquarters at the far-flung capital when the focus of the searchlights was still on Ahmedabad and Surat to Kutch district.

Undeterred by the horror of the earthquake stalking them, the staff restored broadcasting within a couple of minutes, giving minutest details of the trail of deaths and disaster struck on the city by the killer earthquake. It also relayed the distress messages of affected people and survivors for their relatives, said the station director, Mr. J.N. Joshi.

In an exemplary act of devotion to duty, the staff kept the voice of Bhuj for help heard all over despite technical handicap and personal losses suffered by them. News reader Chandravadan Patni continued to voice the untold sufferings of Bhuj and other parts of Kutch, round the clock, despite his house at Nagar Chakla having collapsed. Suresh, the casual worker, sleeps at the station itself and starts the transmission. Duty officer Jayesh Rawal and reporter Sanjay Pandya too continued to work zealously notwithstanding their houses collapses and grief in family.

AIR transmitter at Kupma, 10 km from the station, continued to function with its one of the two generators working and the FM tower escaping with slight crack in its pillar.

- UNI

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