As floodwaters recede, task of rebuilding lives remains

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 17

Over 20 villages in the Shahkot region of Jalandhar have been submerged under waters after the Dhussi bundh, a protective embankment, breached during heavy rains.

The floods have left the affected residents grappling with immense loss and uncertainty, as they struggle to cope with the aftermath and find a path back to normalcy.

The floodwaters cascaded through the villages, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Homes have been ravaged, with many developing cracks and some collapsing entirely. The bustling streets are now waterlogged, and villagers wait for succour to reach them.

As the waters recede, residents are left to survey the extent of the damage, both physical and emotional.

Among the affected villagers is Gurnam Singh, a middle-aged farmer whose house was submerged under several feet of water. With a trembling voice and tears in his eyes, he recounts the losses he and his family have suffered.

“We lost everything in a matter of hours,” he says. “Two of my ground floor rooms were submerged in 8-9 feet of water. As the floodwaters receded, cracks in the structure became visible. It seems all our hard work has been in vain. I don’t know how we will recover from this,” he added.

Besides Gurnam stands Kashmir Singh, a labourer from Mandala village, who sits amid the debris of his collapsed roof. His frail figure embodies the collective despair of the community. “I had spent my entire life’s savings on this house,” he says, his voice trembling. “Now it lies in ruins, and I have nowhere to go. I feel lost and broken,” he added.

The floodwaters spared none, damaging not only homes but also people’s possessions. Ramesh, a young man, recounts the loss of his family’s heirlooms and furniture.

“Our memories were washed away,” he laments. “Photographs, furniture, everything we held dear, are now reduced to debris. It feels like a part of our history has been erased,” he added.

With their lives shattered and a long road to recovery ahead, the affected residents yearn for support and assistance to rebuild their lives. The immediate focus is on having clean drinking water and essential supplies to meet their basic needs. However, the road to normalcy remains daunting, as they grapple with the magnitude of the destruction they have endured.

Dalveer Singh, another resident of Nasirpur village, poured out his frustration. “We have implored the politicians, who come seeking our votes time and again, to fortify the Dhussi bundh, so that our villages no longer have to bear the brunt of every ferocious monsoon. Why can’t the government invest a substantial amount in transforming it into a resilient structure,” he said, emphasising that their current predicament surpasses even the horrors of the 2019 floods, and with each passing day, their struggle for survival grows increasingly arduous.

Long road to recovery

The affected residents yearn for support and assistance to rebuild their lives. The immediate focus is on having clean drinking water and essential supplies to meet their basic needs. However, the road to normalcy remains daunting, as they grapple with the magnitude of the destruction they have endured.

Nowhere to go

I had spent my entire life’s savings on this house. Now it lies in ruins, and I have nowhere to go. I feel lost and broken. — Kashmir Singh, a labourer from Mandala village

Lost everything in a matter of hours

We lost everything in a matter of hours. Two of my ground floor rooms were submerged in 8-9 feet of water. As the floodwaters receded, cracks in the structure became visible. All our hard work has been in vain. I don’t know how we will recover from this. — Gurnam Singh, a farmer