Khundru (Anantnag), August 15
The floors in government’s relief tents in Shangus are without covers and the rain on Monday night drenched the blankets given to displaced villagers, leaving them to shiver away the night. Ceaseless pleadings of scores of hapless villagers, who fled their homes after a fire in the Army's field ammunition depot in Khundroo in south Kashmir on
Saturday, to visiting officials and mediapersons also tell the story of the much-delayed and still half-hearted efforts of the government to mitigate their plight.
Many on Tuesday said rehabilitation was missing for two days and nights immediately after the incident when they needed it the most. It was courtesy the Anantnag-based welfare organisations like Auqaf and the hospitality of nearby villages unaffected from the incident that the displaced villagers had some place to sleep and something to eat.
Mohammad Salim of Khundroo, among the most affected villages, besides Puhloo and Somrun, said all families, around 500, were either staying at Eidgah in Anantnag or with their relations. "The nearest government camp set up now is over 10 km away as we are not allowed to go through the Army depot which would have cut the distance almost to 3 km," he says.
What has added to their woes is criminals having a field day as they have stolen cash and valuables from houses deserted by families in a hurry.
Pir Mohammad Hussain, local MLA and state minister in the coalition government, during his visit to Khundroo demanded that the depot be shifted from the civilian area, but has little immediate relief to offer to his people. "He did not even visit our village saying the
live shells were still there even as we are running around taking stock of our losses" says Mohammad Maqbool, a forest officer
and resident of Khundroo.
Almost every second house in these most affected villages has suffered damage. Desperate villagers are returning to their homes to assess their losses despite warning by the authorities that live shells were there. "Money and goods from so many houses have been stolen. They are just lecturing us, but doing little for our comfort," Ismail Bhat, a local mechanic says.
For two days, says Abdul Wani, a carpenter of Nowgam village, he wandered around carrying his two kids on his shoulders. "There was not even a bus to carry us to any relief camp. A local family gave us shelter at nights," he says.
Local DC, G.A. Peer, who was overseeing arrangements in camp, admits there were initial problems due to the sudden eruption of the Army depot fire. He loses his cool when a mediaperson points to the victims' complaints and the comfort provided by welfare organisations against the missing official machinery.
"It's become a fashion to criticise the government for nothing," he says while scurrying from the spot. The suffering villagers are unlikely to agree with him.
