Scarred by floods, villagers struggle for survival

The devastation caused by the recent floods has left scars not only on the cracked walls of homes but also on the minds of villagers, especially those from economically weaker families, who now struggle for survival amid uncertainty.

For Paramjit Kaur (45), a widow from Kot Gurbaksh village, the nightmare is far from over. As floodwaters entered her home without warning, she and her children rushed to take shelter in the village gurdwara. Her three-room house, built by her late husband Gurdeep Kumar—a carpenter who died of a kidney ailment two years ago—now stands fractured with deep cracks.

“We have nowhere else to go, even though the fear of these walls collapsing any time always hovers in our mind. As the walls dry up in the sun, the cracks will only get deeper,” Paramjit said, her voice trembling and worried. “Most of the time, we stay at the gurdwara. We only come home to feed the buffalo and clean what is left,” she added.

Paramjit’s struggle is compounded by her responsibility for five children—four daughters, Priya (20), Manpreet (18), Rajpreet (16) and Gagandeep (14), and her youngest, a son, Arshdeep Singh (10). The two eldest daughters now work in shops while she sells milk from their lone buffalo. Still, survival remains a daily challenge.

Asha Rani, another resident, broke down while showing the cracks in her house where even the foundations were laid bare by the floodwaters. Her husband, Joginderpal, works at a cycle shop, but the family’s condition has worsened after her two sons lost their jobs in the aftermath of the floods.

With four sons — including two married ones — two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren, the family has shifted to the village Janj Ghar. “We cannot return to our home as it is not safe, and I don’t know for how long we would be allowed to stay here,” Asha said, adding that food for the displaced families is being prepared and distributed at the Janj Ghar.

In Machhiwal village, Palwinder Kaur, who works as a mid-day meal worker in a government school, said half of her house collapsed during the floods while the rest of her belongings were washed away. Her husband, a daily wage labourer, has no means to rebuild.

“We are living in a makeshift tarpaulin tent on what is left of our house. We can’t dream of building a new home. Right now, we are entirely dependent on the food from langar,” she said.

“It is a massive disaster, and while immediate relief is being extended, permanent rehabilitation will require coordinated efforts from the government, NGOs and the community. Survey of damaged properties is underway,” said DC Sakshi Sawhney.