Chembur bids farewell to its hero

A resident of Chembur, D’Souza (54) was in and out of water all through that day. At night, he jumped in to save another life, but was carried away by water. In the morning, the police found his body by a neighbourhood temple.

“He was always around to help, be it to dig a grave or carry luggage around,’’ said Valery D’Souza, a resident.

An orphan, Kaliba — locals say he got the name because of dark complexion (kala baba) — was raised by the nuns of St Anthony School, Chembur. A bachelor who stayed alone, Kaliba did odd jobs for a living.

On Tuesday, as water gushed in from the nullah across St Anthony’s Girls School in Chembur, the area was flooded. Primary school children were marooned in classrooms and worried parents gathered across the road.

That’s when D’Souza took charge and rescued a number of children on his back.

Perpetual Resort, a chawl opposite St Anthony School, too was under six feet water.

“My wife and daughter were in the house when water started gushing in. Kaliba took them to a safe place. I am grateful to him,’’ said Anthony Dias (40), who works as a peon in a nearby school.

‘‘Usne itne logon ko bachaya, lekin khud paani mein beh gaya (He saved so many people, but drowned),’’ said Ravindra Ambre (33), a tea-stall owner.

Kaliba also rescued Ambre’s help, Sanjay Lal (10). “Usne Sanjay ko chhat pe bithaya, jahan wo sari raat baitha raha (He took Sanjay to the roof of the stall where he spent the night),’’ he added.

Sanjay, who watched as Kaliba swam across to rescue other children, is haunted by their last conversation. ‘‘Tu mar jayega, itne pani mein mat ja (You will die, don’t go into such deep water),’’ he had warned Kaliba.