Heavy rain, landslides and chaotic weather have been wreaking havoc across several north Indian states, including Uttarkhand. Cloudbursts and overflowing rivers have made the situation worse in the hill state. However, four students from Rajasthan defied all odds, hired a helicopter and reached Uttarakhand to give the exam.
The students, all pursuing B.Ed, had to appear in the exam at a centre in Munsiyari. Multiple roads were blocked to the place due to landslides and heavy rain. The students, all from Uttarakhand Open University, had to report to RS Tolia PG College in Munsiyari to take the exam, reported PTI. Hence they reached Haldwani on August 31.
Somesh Kumar, in-charge of B.Ed examination of Uttarakhand Open University, said the examination centre was selected by the candidates themselves.
Helicopter to exam centre
The students, who are all residents of Rajasthan’s Balotra town, came to know about helicopter service. “When we reached Haldwani on August 31, we came to know that all the roads leading to Munsiyari were closed due to landslides. We thought we would not be able to take our exam,” Omaram Jat, one of the students, told PTI.
Jat said they later came to know about a company which provides helicopter service between Haldwani and Munsiyari. Stuck with an option which no longer was available, they reached out to the CEO of Heritage Aviation.
2 pilots, one helicopter at service
The students said they talked to the CEO of Heritage Aviation and requested him to provide them with a helicopter to the centre. “Then we spoke to the CEO of Heritage Aviation and requested him to take us from Haldwani to Munsiyari. We told him that we would lose a year if we do not reach the examination centre,” the student was quoted as saying.
Following this, the company dispatched two pilots and a helicopter who safely took the students to Munsiyari and brought us back to Haldwani.
“The one-way fare for the helicopter ride was Rs 5,200,” he said. The other three students are Mangaram Jat, Prakash Godara Jat and Narpat Kumar.