Floods threaten to dim Diwali lights for families that lost homes, crops

With the festival of lights just around the corner, darkness looms large over the flood-ravaged villages of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district as families grapple with the loss of homes, fields and hope as well.

Pargat Singh, a marginal farmer from Rampur Gaura who owned 1.5 acres of land, had built a small two-room house with hard work, but then floods came and his home was washed away. He had dreamed of celebrating Diwali with his family after harvesting his paddy crop. He had even fixed a plan on Diwali to call his relatives home for celebrations.

"All that's left are the remains of my house. I have three daughters. Every year, I bring them sweets, crackers and new clothes. This time, they don't ask for anything - they know we are homeless now. No one can imagine what a father goes through when he sees that sadness in his children's eyes," he said, holding back his tears.

Pargat's story echoes throughout the village. Nine families in Rampur Gaura lost their homes in floodwaters. One of them is Major Singh, who used to celebrate Diwali with his children, no matter how limited the resources.

"My younger one asked what I would get him for Diwali this year. What do I say to him? We've lost

our home, our acre of land — everything is gone," said Major Singh, standing amid the ruins of his house.

In Mandala Channa village in Shahkot, four more families have been displaced. Their homes, built close to the embankment, were reduced to rubble. They now live in temporary shelters.

Swaran Kaur, a resident of Mandala Channa, described the trauma of seeing everything disappear. "There is no sign that our houses ever existed. Water took away

everything. There will be no Diwali for us this year," she said, her voice heavy with grief.