Entire village uprooted after Beas changes course

The change in the Beas course has uprooted nearly 100 residents of Sultanpur Lodhi’s Rampur Gaura village as the river now flows over a major chunk of village land. Around a dozen families lived in the flood-hit village in the Mand area before the swollen river submerged the entire area.

Now, only three houses, that too in a dilapidated situation, are standing. The village is spread over 300 acres.

Almost all residents were forced to shift to their relatives’ places. They say the river has swallowed 50 acres and its altered course has caused widespread damage in about 10 more area villages.

The village was flooded following a major breach in an advanced dyke. Environmentalist and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, said the Beas changed its course due to the breach in the bundh, resulting in collapse of houses at Rampur Gaura.

“The village has been rendered uninhabitable due to the river’s altered course. Separate arrangements must be made for these families through the allocation of panchayat land elsewhere,” the environmentalist said.

Baljit Singh, whose house collapsed in the floods, said they lost their fields too.

“I grew up here and my children were born here. Now, nothing is left. Everyone hopes to return to home but we don’t even have a brick left to grieve over. Huge pits have developed on the land where once our houses stood. Every single brick has gone,” he said.

Ten members of his family are now putting up at relatives’ homes in Baupur village, another flood-hit village. Baljit himself sleeps at the Baupur village gurdwara.

Bakhtaur Singh, whose house had collapsed, said, “Huge silt has been deposited by floodwaters. We had lost out home in the 2023 floods too. Now, all is lost again. We request the government to allocate new land to build our houses.”

Villagers said while Good Samaritans extend help amounting to Rs 1 to 2 lakh, each family required at least Rs 15 to 20 lakh to build a new house. “So many people are offering tractors. We appeal that some must spare a thought to rebuild houses,” said Charanjit Singh, another resident.