A life washed away, aid held back for Seraj's flood-disaster victim

Nearly four months after the devastating rain disaster that ravaged the Seraj region of Mandi district, the pain and despair still hang thick in the air. For Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Daizy village, time has stood still since that fateful night of June 30, when torrential rains and flash floods swept away not just his house, but his entire world.

Mukesh lost his parents, wife and two young children in the tragedy. Their bodies are still untraceable, swallowed by the fury of nature. With every passing day, hope of finding them alive has faded into a cruel silence. “I have lost everything — my family, my home, my peace. Now I have nothing left to live for, except the memories,” says Mukesh, his voice trembling as he stares blankly at the empty space where his house once stood.

But the storm in Mukesh’s life did not end with the rains. Recently, he was dealt another devastating blow when revenue officials declared that the land where his house once stood belonged to the government. The decision meant Mukesh was ineligible for the Rs 7 lakh financial assistance announced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for families who lost their homes completely in the disaster.

The state government’s relief package had brought a ray of hope to hundreds of affected families in the region. But for Mukesh, it turned into another heartbreak. “They say my house was built on government land. But it was the same land where I lived with my parents and children for years. I never imagined that after losing my family, I would also be denied the right to rebuild my life,” he says.

Currently, Mukesh is taking shelter in his brother’s house nearby, surviving each day with uncertainty and despair. “How long can I live like this? I do not want to be a burden. I just want to rebuild a small home in memory of my family,” he says, his eyes welling up with tears.

To make matters worse, Mukesh has not yet received complete financial compensation for his deceased family members. The district administration had provided him as an immediate relief Rs 25,000 of each deceased in the beginning, while remaining amount will be given after issue of death certificate is furnished. Since their bodies were never recovered, the authorities cannot issue death certificates, a prerequisite for any ex-gratia payment.

Additional District Magistrate Dr Madan Kumar says the process to issue death certificates for those missing since June 30 will begin soon as the Central Government has given special permission for it. Monika Thakur, pradhan of Pakhrair gram panchayat, has raised Mukesh’s case with the local administration and urged the Chief Minister to intervene personally. “Mukesh’s is one of the most heart-wrenching cases. He lost everything, his parents, wife and children. The government must consider such cases on compassionate and humanitarian grounds. The purpose of aid is to help the helpless and no one is more helpless than him,” she said.

Deputy Commissioner Mandi Apoorv Devgan said there was set principle that compensation cannot be given to the damage of house to the affected family, which was built on government land. However, the administration provided financial aid to such affected families through other means from NGOs or other social organisations.

The local leaders and residents are urging flexibility for exceptional cases like Mukesh’s for financial aid. “Rules are made for governance, not to deny justice. When someone has lost his entire family, the government should step forward as a guardian, not a bureaucrat,” said a local villager.

The tragedy that struck Seraj on June 30 claimed dozens of lives and destroyed hundreds of homes. For most, the scars are still raw, but for Mukesh, the pain has no end in sight. As he waits for the government’s response and the formal declaration of his loved ones’ deaths, he clings to the only thing left with him — memories. “I am not asking for sympathy,” Mukesh says softly. “I just want a chance to live again.”