People return to damaged houses as water recedes in Fatehabad district

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, August 8

It will take weeks for flood-affected families to return to a normal routine in a number of villages and dhanis in Fatehabad district. Those returning home after spending weeks in relief camps set up by the district administration are facing another challenge — the repair of their houses that got damaged due to the heavy rains recently.

127 villages affected

As many as 127 villages in Fatehabad were affected by floods and 2,370 dhanis/houses were partially damaged. The administration had set up 32 relief camps, where 1,029 persons had shifted when the floodwaters inundated their houses and villages.

A number of houses have been damaged or cracks have developed in walls. Though the government has assured them of compensation, it would take some time before it is disbursed. Amar Singh, a resident of Dhani Talhi Wali on Ratia road, about 5 km from Fatehabad, said a room of his two-room house had collapsed. “About 5 ft water was standing in the house when we left it two weeks ago. Now, the water has receded, but the house is not in a liveable condition,” he said. The administration was supplying ration and dry fodder for the cattle, he stated.

Kamla Bai of a dhani, who returned today, found her house in a mess. “I lived in a rented accommodation for 15 days and just returned. I cleaned the house, but it will take some more days to get used to it,” she said.

About 20,000 acres in Fatehabad district, however, are still submerged. Most of the areas in Tohana and Ratia, where paddy is the main kharif crop, will have to re-transplant paddy saplings as the earlier sown crop had been washed away.

Farmers are trying to drain out water by installing pump-sets. They said they could transplant paddy if the water was drained out in a week.

Fatehabad DC Mandeep Kaur, meanwhile, said the government had started a portal for those affected by floods. They could register their losses and apply for relief until August 18. Before applying for crop failure on e-kshatipurti, it was mandatory to register on Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal.

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