Chikkamagaluru: It was an emotional Tuesday (August 13) for the people of Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka as the Army personnel, who were involved in rescue operations, began to leave after the floodwaters started receding and the situation improved in the state.

Learning that the Army personnel were leaving the village after extending help in rescue operations in the past few days, the villagers gathered to bid them farewell.

With folded hands and tears in their eyes, people stood in a queue as the soldiers started loading their bags on to their vehicles to leave Mudigere.

Forgetting all their woes of losing belongings and cattle in the floods, it was women staying in the relief camps who took the lead.

They performed "aarati" to the soldiers, tied Rakhi on their wrists and put vermilion on their forehead.

"May God bless you. May he keep you and your families hale and hearty," said a woman with her voice choking while the other survivors showered affection, turning the soldiers emotional.

Bowing their heads with folded hands, the soldiers watched in silence as emotions ran high.

Most of the soldiers were from north India, who barely understood Kannada, but the language was not a barrier to feel the sentiments of the people.

Villages such as Kelegur, Balige and Malemane in the district were severely affected by the floods.

Hundreds of hectares of agriculture land having tens of thousands of areca nut and coconut trees were devastated as swollen river streams caused devastation. Many houses were entirely submerged in the flood-hit regions of Chikkamagaluru showing no trace of their existence.