28-04-2025
H'bag divers: Ray of hope in rescue missions across country
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Chatra:
Chai village
at Chouparan block in Hazaribag is renowned as the village of divers. Having started their journey by helping villagers cross Ledhiya river during monsoon around 50 years ago, the divers today have transformed a basic skill into a life-saving mission, that stands second to none, even the
National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) beyond the state borders.
The team of 32 divers, ranging from 10-year olds to 80-year old Nasir Ansari, led by 65-year-old Nazim Hussain, has retrieved over 250 bodies from water bodies across the state.
Speaking to TOI, Nazim said, "Chai village used to get cut off from Itkhori in Chatra during monsoon in the absence of a bridge a few decades ago. Some youths started helping people in crossing this rain-fed river, earning Re 1 or 50 paise per person. This errand evolved into the establishment of a professional
diving team
that now serves Hazaribag, Latehar, Koderma, and Chatra. Operating without modern equipment, the team relies solely on courage and experience and can remain underwater for up to 1.5 minutes."
Their latest achievement was discovering the body of Alekh Gaurav trapped under an overturned boat in Hazaribag lake and recovering it. The cousin of deceased, Ranjan Gupta, said, "The work of the Chai divers is extraordinary. We would not have been able to locate my brother's body without their help. The leader is younger than today's youth in attitude and zeal."
The team first came in the public eye on 20 August 2018 when the divers recovered the bodies of five children from the Mahane river near Bhadrakali temple in Itkhori, after the NDRF had declared the mission impossible. The Chai divers also rescued an NDRF staff, who had got into difficulty in the water.
Crossing the boundaries of the state in their operations, Nasir said, "The Rourkela administration reached out to us via Chouparan police in 2018 after all agencies failed to retrieve the body of an youth, who had drowned in a waterfall at Bhalwahi while clicking selfies."
Afqaf Alam (46), who is called 'Saguni baba' by his teammates as he prays before going on any operation, said, "In Tekari area of Gaya in Bihar, we recovered the body of a child, who had fallen into a pond. We were called after the NDRF team from Patna failed to retrieve the body."
The team works without govt support or regular compensation. They only request transportation to rescue sites and accept whatever is offered in gratitude. "This work is connected to humanity. Hence, we never ask for money," Nazim says.
Their commitment has made Chai village a symbol of courage and selfless service in Jharkhand's emergency response system. Nazim, along with 10 others, started imparting training to youths and children of the village in 1972. Nazim is at present training 22 village kids, ensuring the village legacy continues.
Brothers Dawar Ansari and Yawar Ansari, who are undergoing training, said, "Swimming is the best outdoor game for us. We can also serve fello human beings with this skill."
