Triple blow to Mohar Jamsher residents in Fazilka

Over 900 residents in Mohar Jamsher village, surrounded by Pakistan on three sides and Sutlej river on the fourth, have been facing several hardships these days.

Bearing the brunt due to the typical topography of the village, these days floods have added misery to the people’s lives. “Almost entire 850 acres have been submerged, resulting in damage to standing paddy and green fodder crops. The only connecting road is under knee-deep water, resulting in the snapping of the road link.

When this correspondent reached Mohar Jamsher village, a villager Puran Singh was pushing his bike in the floodwater as it had developed a snag. He was going to bring eatables from Fazilka town.

Sarpanch Parmjeet Kaur said no assistance had been provided to them by the government. Green fodder was out of stock, necessary eatable items were running short and they were struggling to feed their children and cattle head.

Another blow to the villagers was that after the receding of the floodwater, most of the farmers might not get compensation. A progressive farmer Punjab Singh said out of the total 850 acres, more than 50 per cent belonged to the provincial government, but was being cultivated by the village farmers for decades.

Official sources said on the directions of the Supreme Court in 2019, the ownership rights and girdawari of the provincial government land were revoked in favour of the government, but the physical possession of the land was allegedly not taken back due to possible backlash by the farmers. Thus, most of the farmers had been cultivating the land near the International Border without having the ownership rights.

As per the government policy, the farmers who are not having ownership rights cannot be granted compensation. The farmers have demanded to amend the policy and provide compensation to them too.

Villagers said some anti-social elements belonging to the village were arrested with smuggled heroin from Pakistan in 2023. Since then, the BSF set up a check-point at the only entry and exit point of the village to prevent smuggling, said Veer Singh husband of woman sarpanch Parmjeet Kaur.

“When we reach the only entry-cum-exit gate to go to Fazilka town and somewhere else, we are searched by the security personnel, besides biometric attendance is used to prove our identity and our names are entered in a register,” said villagers Pappu Singh and Jangir Singh.

   Road link snapped

*Village link snapped as only road submerged in floodwater

*Village surrounded by Pakistan on three sides

*Villagers have to prove identity at entry point