GUWAHATI, May 2 � Emotions once again ran high when the body of Padmawati Mazumdar, one of the seven women from Assam who died in the Nepal earthquake, was brought here from New Delhi this morning.
Received by family members and State Government officials at the LGBI Airport, the body was taken to her Hengrabari residence where people in large numbers turned up to pay their last respects.
Her body was then taken to the Karbi Yuva Sangha playground of her locality where floral tributes were paid to the departed soul.
People from different parts of Guwahati were seen lining up with folded hands and moist eyes near Padmawati Mazumdar�s residence as the vehicle carrying the body arrived. A number of business establishments and shops in the locality observed a shutdown as a mark of respect.
Padmawati was also in the 26-member pilgrimage team which left for Nepal on April 23. As many as 11 people from India died in Nepal due to the quake, of which seven were from Assam. The other bodies were brought to Guwahati on Wednesday.
Padmawati�s last rites were performed at the Navagraha cremation ground.
Later in the evening, Umesh Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Administration) who was rushed to Nepal to facilitate rescue and relief of people from Assam in the neighbouring country, said, �Except Govinda Konwar, a garment trader, we have located each of the 158 people from Assam who went to Nepal.�
He further informed that 22 people from Assam have decided to stay back due to various personal reasons.
Umesh Kumar was of the opinion that disaster preparedness in the State has to be upgraded and proper mapping needs to be done.
IGP(SB) Hiren Nath informed that the helpline numbers would continue to operate till the rescue operation in Nepal continues.
