Puri: He literally weathered many storms to survive. When Amrit Kujur from Andaman and Nicobar Island was washed ashore in a village in Puri with his damaged boat, he probably had no hope of living. He had been through two massive storms in the middle of the sea and subsequently went missing in the Bay of Bengal for 28 days, surviving without food.
The district administration did not lose any time in swinging into action on learning about Kujur’s plight. It promptly made all arrangements including food, medicines and shelter in
to help the man to recover.
Now that he is back on his feet, the district administration has also arranged his travel to ensure that he returns to his hometown safely. Kujur was brought to Bhubaneswar from Puri in a vehicle to board a flight to Kolkata and then onwards to Port Blair. What is more, an officer from the district administration will accompany Kujur up to Kolkata. The entire expenditure has been sanctioned by the Collector of Puri, Balwant Singh.
Kujur, 49, a resident of Shahid Dweep, follows sea routes for a living and
supplies passing ships with everyday items such as groceries and potable water. He had lost his usual ocean route due to storms. He was rescued at Rajhans on the banks of Chilika Lake near the sleepy coastal village of Khirisahi on the intervening night of October 24 and 25. The local police admitted him to Krushnaprasad Primary Health Centre.
“I had lost all hope but survived drinking sea water for 26 days. Thank God, I reached Odisha. I am really grateful for the help I got from people of Odisha. I will remember it till
my last breath,” a visibly happy Kujur recalled.
