Home swept away, Paonta Sahib family now battles illness, despair

Broken bricks, scattered furniture and a heap of mud are all that remain of Sher Singh’s home in Ward 9 of Paonta Sahib. Once a shelter built with years of toil, it now stands in ruins after relentless monsoon rains swept it away, leaving the family of four with nothing but memories and grief.

Nearly 30 years of hard work crumbled in a single night. Along with the walls, the family’s savings and belongings, including beds, appliances and treasured household items, were buried under the debris. “It wasn’t just a house it was our life,” said Sher Singh’s wife Rajrani, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

Since August 25, the children have been moved into a rented room, while Rajrani herself spends her nights in a makeshift hut near a bathroom. The struggle is even harsher because Sher Singh, already battling kidney failure, requires constant medical care. The family says the double blow of illness and homelessness has pushed them into a crisis they can barely endure.

Their pain is compounded by what they call “official neglect”. Rajrani recalls a patwari visited them and promised Rs 2,000 as compensation, an amount she describes “insult” compared to their losses worth lakhs.

Even in despair, the family holds on to hope.

They have appealed to the government and administration for urgent help to rebuild their house. “We only want a roof where our children can live with dignity,” Rajrani pleaded. For the Singh family, the rains have left behind more than destruction — they have been stripped off security and forced to start from scratch.