Progressive farmer becomes ‘messiah’ for flood-hit residents

A progressive farmer of Baupur Jadid village in Sultanpur Lodhi, Paramjit Singh, has emerged as a messiah for homeless villagers who have lost everything to the devastating floods in the area.

In a rare gesture of compassion, the philanthropist not only turned his home into a “temporary abode” for the homeless but went ahead to donate 10-marla plot each to the five families of Rampur Gaura village. “The families will soon start building up their house,” said Paramjit with a sigh of fulfillment and purpose.

He is already a local hero in the area, whom politicians want to associate with. During the 2023 floods, he used his motorboat to transport people to safety, though his own house was surrounded by floodwaters. But his worries for the flood-victims are far from over. Two months after the Beas mowed down everything coming in its way, he wants that construction of the houses should be completed early before harsh the weather sets in.

Paramjit’s act has ignited a fire of selfless service in others. Some other good Samaritans have helped Gurnishan Singh to reconstruct his damaged house at Passan Kadim village. A team of Baba Sukha Singh of Sarhali village has been lending a helping hand to the flood victims to build their houses. They had also got Rs 2 lakh each as financial support from singer Mankirat Aulakh.

It is not about the shelter less alone, hundreds of residents of flood-ravaged Sultanpur Lodhi area are bracing for yet another long-ordeal. With the night temperature hovering between 7°C and 12°C, there are many whose houses had suffered minor damages in the floods.

While a few of them are rebuilding their houses, others have yet not been able to start the work. These families have so far been putting up with their relatives. Some have also found shelter with fellow villagers accommodating them temporarily. There is no shortage of blankets and woolen clothes as these have already been donated in huge quantities by various political and social organisations in the 16 affected villages. The bigger problem is ensuring that they all have a safe and secure shelter before the temperature dips further.

Milkha Singh, a farmer from Rampur Gaura village who has recently lost a part of his dwelling, has moved to Passan Kadim village in a safer location near the Dhussi bandh. The boundary wall of his newly-built house has got washed away by the Beas that changed its course after the floods hit the area. Since the family felt unsafe, they chose to vacate the house taking away all their belongings.

The villagers said while everyone extended a big help, there had many organisations that came, gave big assurances of getting their houses build, got pictures clicked with them but they failed to keep their promises. They also lamented that they have not yet got any compensation from the government for the losses incurred by them.

Another issue is, a majority of the farmers will not be able to sow wheat in this season. There are still mounds of sand everywhere. “In Mand Mubarakpur village, the mounds of sand are so high that if someone stands on them, they can touch high-tension wires passing over them. Less than 3 per cent of the 3,000 acres of flood-hit land has become cultivable in Sultanpur Lodhi. Of the 40 acres of land that I own, I have been able to sow wheat on just about 5 acres of land as the rest of the land is still unfit for any cultivation. The advance bundh at Rampur Gaura village still has an over 1-km-long breach waiting to be filled”, Paramjit listed out other problems awaiting a solution.