Allahabad: At lost and found centres, joy of reunion for some families, more wait for others

ALLAHABAD: Their wrinkled faces are covered with sorrow but eyes are full of hope as they wait restlessly for their loved ones at the lost-and-found centres in the Kumbh Mela. On the list of registered complaints about people lost during the holy festival over the past two months, 80% of the names are those of the elderly. Most among those are women aged between 65 and 80 years. Children make up the next chunk.

The data is from the 15 computerised 'Khoya Paya' centres run by the Mela Authority and a volunteer camp called 'Bhuley Bhatkey' run by Bharat Seva Dal which reunites lost people with families. From January till a day before the auspicious Mahashivaratri Snan on Monday, a total of 67,837 people had been registered as lost. While 38,500 complaints were from the traditional centre, 29,337 are from the computerised centres. "Most complaints were registered by senior citizens, especially women, who got departed from their families during holy dips," said deputy SP and in charge of Khoya Paya centre Devi Gulam.

Anxious pilgrims get their complaints registered at a lost and found centre at Mela ground.

If their families do not turn up after three-four days of the complaint, the police, administration and non-government organisations support them financially to return home. "Our constables help lost people in boarding buses and trains if they are able and remember their address. We support some of them with money as well," he added. A few who don't remember their address are with NGOs that maintain their record and help them reunite later, he said.

"At our camp, we receive around 200 complaints every day of which around 150 are senior citizens. The rest are mostly children," said Umesh Chandra Tiwari, organiser of the Bhuley Bhatkey camp. "They sit in our camp restlessly all day. We have reunited many elderly people with their families," said Tiwari. Walking in extreme pain, holding both her knees with hands, 75-year-old Shyamwati from Sasaram, Bihar, has been at Bhuley Bhatke camp for three days. She wants the administration to help her go back home.

"As I had pain in my legs, my son Pankaj made me sit on a rickshaw. He said he and his wife were following me, but when I reached a distance, I realized that we have departed," she said.

"My son would not be able to search for me in the huge crowd. I want the administration to help me reach home," she said.

Many others like her are continuously requesting announcements at the lost and found centre about their details. "It has been 18 hours since I got lost. My family must be coming here to find me," said 60-year-old Shanti Devi from Bhopal.