Flood-hit people leave shelter homes, return to mud-caked houses, mess

Living away from home, on the roadside in temporary tents, is not something anyone wishes for. Yet, for families in the Yamuna floodplains, this became their reality almost two weeks ago, when rising waters forced them to pack their belongings and move to relief camps. Now, as the water slowly recedes, many are returning — only to confront homes buried in mud, harvests destroyed and uncertainty about what lies ahead.

At the Mayur Vihar Phase 1 relief camp, nearly half the residents have already left, while the remaining families are also preparing to move out. “We have been in the camp for the past 14 days. The situation back home is pretty bad. Our harvest is ruined and there is mud everywhere. But it’s time to pack up and go back,” said Saraswati, as she folded clothes with her daughter beside her.

“Bathing, cooking and getting clean water had been difficult here. No one likes living far from home for too long,” she said.

Ruby, a resident of the floodplains for over two decades, said the lack of ration supplies at the camp was pushing families to leave. “While cooked food does come, ration is more important. We will go back tomorrow, even if it means living with the mud and dirt that the water has left behind,” she said.

Ruby explained that electricity was never an issue since homes relied on solar panels costing around Rs 6,000-7,000. “That is enough to charge phones and light bulbs and fans. The real loss is our harvest — we lost ladyfinger, tori, radish — everything.”

For others, returning home is not an option yet. Pinky, who lives in the lower stretch of the floodplain, sat fanning herself in her tent. “There is still waist-deep water in our home. The mud is at least a foot high. How are we supposed to go back to that?” she asked.

To address health concerns, a medical camp has been set up at Mayur Vihar, staffed by two Delhi government doctors working in shifts, and supported by Seva Bharti.

“So far, we haven’t seen cases of malaria or dengue, but many people come with infections, loose motions and fever,” said Preeti, secretary of Seva Bharti, pointing to an ambulance and medicine van parked outside.

A similar situation persists at the ITO Yamuna Bridge camp, where many families have left but several remain, caught between police orders to vacate and homes still submerged in waist-deep water.

Sitting on a charpoy, Shabana (54) wiped her tears as she spoke to The Tribune. “The police have already asked us to leave, but where do I go? I am alone, a widow. My two sons in Punjab refuse to take me with them. They told me to rent a room, but I barely earn enough by doing housework,” she said.

Shabana, who is suffering from high BP, diabetes and thyroid, worried about the dangers of returning to a waterlogged house. “Living near stagnant water is already dangerous, with the risk of dengue and malaria.”

Madhu, another resident, said: “We were told to leave by next week, but water is still there in our homes. To make things worse, the authorities have stopped sending water tankers from today.”

As Delhi’s relief camps slowly empty out, those heading back find themselves facing another crisis — mud-caked homes, destroyed crops and stagnant floodwaters. For many still stranded, the choice is harsher - either return to unsafe homes or be left with no roof at all.