Cash crops, land washed away, Miyar valley villagers await aid

Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, August 2

The flash flood that had created havoc in Lahaul and Spiti district on July 27, has left the residents of Changut village of the remote Miyar valley in utter trauma. Their source of livelihood, the huge tract of agricultural land, was washed away along with cash crops like cauliflower, peas, broccoli, etc, during the flood.

Due to the flash flood threat, all villagers had to leave their houses. They took shelter on another side of the rivulet and spent two nights and two days without food or any other refreshments. When water level receded in the rivulet, they moved back to their homes. Around 40 villagers, including women and children, faced grave ordeal after they had to run away from their houses.

Talking to The Tribune, Neeraj Kumar, a resident of Changut village, said “We have lost everything. Now we are worried about our future as how to survive without agricultural land. Farming was the sole source of our livelihood but unfortunately we have lost entire tract of agricultural land in the July 27 flash flood. Besides, three houses were also damaged in the flood”.

Village women said, “No one has bothered to visit our village to provide immediate relief. We have become landless and now we are worried how we will feed our families in the coming days. Our cash crops were washed away in the flash flood.”

Sonam, Neeraj Kumar and other residents of this village said, “We urge the state government to rehabilitate us at another place by providing land for farming and financial assistance to construct houses.”

Ravi Thakur, a former Congress MLA from Lahaul and Spiti, visited the area and demanded immediate relief for the affected villagers. He alleged though Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had toured Lahaul-Spiti, he did not visit flood-affected villagers and also did not announce any relief for them.