2 months after floods, Kasauli villagers still awaiting rehab

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 12

Over two months after torrential rain led to the inundation of Sihardi village in the Kasauli Assembly segment, the villagers still await rehabilitation and restoration of roads.

Connectivity to nearby areas has been snapped and this has made marketing of agricultural produce difficult, causing hardship to the villagers.

Five houses and two cowsheds were damaged due to the erosion of hills on which the village was located on July 10. Four houses were damaged completely and one partially. The debris flowed down to Bhaguri village and damaged the cash crops grown there.

About 80 per cent of the population belonged to the below poverty line (BPL) families. Around 25 bigha arable land and 10 bigha forest land had eroded.

“Damage to a key road connecting Gandhigram with Dharampur has hit residents of 15 villages. Marketing of cash crops has been badly hit,” said Deepak, a villager.

Connectivity to Bhojnagar village was also hit and the villagers were forced to physically carry the agrarian produce for around 2 km before they could transport it in small vehicles up to the main road at Gandhigram.

Agriculture is the only source of livelihood of hapless villagers and they are awaiting the restoration of roads for marketing their produce.

Priti, a local villager, said small children had been sent to the relatives houses in nearby areas, so that they did not miss their school.

The Revenue Department had disbursed Rs 5.20 lakh to the affected families, claimed Multan Singh, Tehsildar, Solan. “A proposal to provide three biswa land to all those families that have lost their entire belongings has been floated. Suitable land has also been identified for the purpose,” he added.