Over 300 houses damaged in Jalandhar

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 4

More than 300 houses in Jalandhar district have suffered full to partial damage due to recent heavy rainfall as per the preliminary assessment made by the district administration.

There are four incidents of roof collapse at the Abadpura locality. Seven houses have suffered damage at Gahir village of Nakodar. Three house have collapsed at Dakoha locality. A house in Christian mohalla came down crumbling on Thursday. Several houses in even posh colonies, including Model Town, too have suffered massive damages owing to old construction.

Aged woman Mehngi of Abadpura shared her woes. "I was at home on Tuesday when I could spot a pillar of my two-room house sinking in. I immediately alerted my daughter Asha Rani and granddaughter Deepika. We immediately took out whatever cash and precious items we had at home and rushed out. Within a short span, everything came down. Thankfully, we were all safe."

Mehngi said her house had been constructed 60 years ago. "Some youths from the locality helped us take out our belongings and shifted us to a neighbour's house. We were already hand-to-mouth. My daughter does a private job and I am dependent on her. I do not think that I can rebuild this house", she said.

Santosh Rani and her daily wager husband Ranvir are putting up in a gurdwara of the Abadpura locality. The roof of their two-room house has fallen. They have shifted their belongings to a verandah, covered it all with a tarpaulin and moved out to be safe. "We cannot even use our kitchen. We have set up our burner in the gurdwara and are cooking there with our ration. We are not in a position to rebuild our house. We are looking forward to some help from the government", said Santosh Rani.

The story of Resham Lal of the same locality is even more tragic. The aged man is already undergoing dialysis and now roof collapse has left him shattered. His wife Kaushalya said she had appealed to administrative officials to provide her some relief. The couple is currently putting up in a single room of his brother.

Ex-Congress MLA Rajinder Beri said he had visited the houses and promised them help. Satpal Monu, a Congress leader from the locality, said, "I am preparing their cases to help them seek some compensation from the government. At our personal level too, we are trying to pool in some money to help the families in distress." Dr Navjot Dahiya, Congress leader, also visited the houses of families at Gahir village of Nakodar, where roofs of houses have given way.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal said, "We are keeping a track of all complaints of house collapse coming to us. Our officials shall be making assessments. We shall present their cases to the government".