HAM-handed heroes

lsquoControl calling ground zerorsquo lsquoGround zero calling controlrsquo were the repeated lines buzzing on channel 144900 megahertz of the HAM radio inquiring every few minutes about the extent of damage due to the landslide at Irsalwadi village and the assistance required at the rescue siteThe HAM radio stood as the sole twoway communication device that could withstand gusty winds of over 4050 kph and torrential rain while poor weather conditions hampered search and rescue efforts and disrupted mobile networks and displays for some rescuersFiftyone members of the lsquoHAM Radio Search and Rescue Teamrsquo including businessmen retired employees college students doctors and housewives from Mumbai Dombivli Thane and Pune formed a team of ten HAM or amateur radio operators who maintained operational communication between the basecamp HAM control room and the hilltop where the rescue operation was underwayThe landslide spot at IrsalwadiAt the base camp HAM control room Jaiprakash Pullakudy 60 the seniormost member of the team and a resident of Tilaknagar led the efforts It was his first highaltitude search and rescue mission on a steep sleeper hill with no road connectivity extreme weather conditions and slush that posed a considerable riskJaiprakash has over two decades of experience as a veteran HAM operator in Mumbai operating HAM since 1995 He had participated in several disaster management operations including the Gujarat earthquake in 2001 Chiplun and Kolhapur floods in JulyAugust 2019 and Cyclone Nisarg in 2020The July 19 landslide at Irsalwadi reinforced his belief that mother nature is powerful and that immediate steps must be taken to safeguard nature and embrace sustainable development to mitigate climate change risksOn the morning of July 20 after the landslide the district disaster team attached to the Raigad collectorrsquos office informed Jaiprakashrsquos colleague and team leader Bimal Nathwani about their deployment to the Irsalwadi site for search rescue and communicationSome of the search and rescue members at IrsalwadildquoWe adhere to strict protocols and cannot volunteer for any search and rescue operation unless asked to join by the authorities concerned It is a voluntary service The first batch of over 20 team members reached the site on July 20 evening supported by a large business house that provided transport travel food and lodging Additional team members joined us laterrdquo recalled JaiprakashChallenging operationBimal mentioned that the climb to the affected landslide area took around one and a half hours and the challenging operation was further complicated by extreme weather conditions and poor visibilityDespite the swift establishment of the HAM base control room and antennas en route to the landslide spot continuous heavy rains filled the search pits with water and slush making the operation difficult for both the NDRF team and their volunteersldquoThe climb to the affected landslide area took about one and a half hours depleting 25 to 30 per cent of our energy Unlike a regular disaster with accessible roads we lacked the assistance of heavy machinery and public transport in Irsalwadirdquo he explainedPrecautions takenTo face the daunting challenges of the operation the local district administration provided necessary protective gear and ensured the area was sprayed with disinfectants to combat the foul smell arising from the debrisBimal added ldquoInitially those victims who could be pulled out of the debris could be managed but as weather conditions deteriorated there were nailbiting instances where we could see a dead body amidst the debris and before an attempt could be made to pull out the body the heavy rains would lash the area and the pit would get covered with slush and waterrdquoChildhood passionJaiprakashrsquos passion for HAM radio stemmed from childhood interests and he has since become licensed HAM operator The government recognised the value of HAM operators in disaster situations leading them to become an integral part of various disaster operations and civil defence effortsPro bono serviceIn communication crises HAM radio came to the resuce All HAM operators who participated in the search and rescue operation at the Irsalwadi landslide volunteered their services and equipment on a pro bono basis They consider it an honour to assist state administrations and agencies that work tirelessly to save lives and property during disastersCoded HAM message decodedgtgt HAM operators worldwide understand coded phonetic words as their individual call signsgtgt For example Jaiprakashrsquos call sign is VU2JPN ndash Victor Uniform2 Juliet Papa November and Bimal Nathwanirsquos call sign is VU2CFE ndash Victor Unifrom2 Charlie Foxtrot Echogtgt Vu2 general gradegtgt Vu3 restricted gradegtgt Vu is the code for IndiaJuly 19Day of the landslide