Pangi villagers stranded in snow, seek relief from govt

The tribal region of Pangi in Chamba is still struggling to return to normal after the valley was hit by unprecedented snowfall last week. Several villages remain cut off and residents are struggling to care for their livestock and restore normalcy to their lives.

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According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, 32 of the 35 roads in the Pangi valley are still blocked due to snow accumulation. The power supply also remains disrupted, with 70 electricity transformers still out of order.

Notably, the extreme weather caused significant damage in Kumar and Punto villages, where avalanches destroyed homes. According to the state government’s relief manual, immediate rescue and relief operations should have been undertaken by the local administration. However, due to the severe conditions, official rescue teams were unable to reach the affected areas. Instead, local villagers stepped in to provide temporary shelter and aid.

Dev Raj, a ward member of Gram Panchayat Kumar, shared details of the devastation and revealed the extent of damage to homes and belongings. Despite this, he claims they have not yet received financial or material assistance.

“Three families lost their homes along with essential supplies. Additionally, several other houses have developed cracks. Yet, no aid has reached these families,” said Dev Raj, Ward Panch of Gram Panchayat Kumar, demanding the administration and the government take immediate action to address the locals’ woes.

The situation is further worsened by the collapse of local infrastructure. The BSNL tower’s solar panels and batteries are missing, the health sub-centre in Kumar has suffered damage, and 10-15 electricity poles from the HT and LT lines have either broken or fallen. Villagers are urging authorities to expedite compensation, restore power lines, and repair communication infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Pangwal Ekta Manch, a local organisation, has raised the issue with the Resident Commissioner of Pangi and also written to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. In response to our inquiries, the Resident Commissioner conveyed that efforts were underway to arrange helicopter drops for essential supplies. However, no concrete action has been taken so far, said Trilok Thakur, Chairman of Pangwal Ekta Manch.

Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Thakur said, “We request the Chief Minister to immediately deploy state or Air Force helicopters to airdrop essential supplies to the affected villages. Relief teams should be sent as soon as the weather permits or the roads become accessible. Additionally, the administration should explore dropping relief teams at the Sach helipad if feasible.”

Meanwhile, the villagers in the valley have also come up with innovative ideas to battle the situation.

In Sural Gram Panchayat’s Ghanmas village, villagers carved through five feet of snow to reach their cowsheds and tend to their cattle. “Such heavy snowfall has not been seen in years. We are confined to our homes, and if this pattern continues, our houses might also be at risk,” said Manohar Lal, a local resident.