E-Paper
Disaster strikes twice for two families of Sangrur village
After being homeless in 1993 floods, Prem Singh and other poverty-stricken flood victims in Punjab face the same fate again as their houses are washed away. They have suffered irrevocable damage to their belongings and are now seeking compensation from the government.
In 1993, Prem Singh, a farm labourer, who is a resident of Kothe Mahanta village, was 12-year-old when his family became homeless as their house build with hard-earned money was washed away in floods and they had to spent months at their relatives’ residence.
Now, after 30 years, he is again facing the same fate after floods due to various breaches in the Ghaggar river. He has no job in hand and is left with no other option but to stay at his relative’s house for the past seven days along with his family. Adding to their woes, cracks have started appearing in their house, which he had built after recovering from 1993 floods.
Similar is the story of many more poverty-stricken flood victims, whom the tragedy has struck again. Furniture, home appliances and other valuables have suffered irrevocable damage.
Prem Singh said after losing their house in 1993 floods, they had borrowed money from various aides to rebuild a house. “It took us years to build a house and return the borrowed money. Now, water has again inundated my house and multiple cracks have developed in the walls. I will not be able to build it again if it collapses,” said Prem Singh.
Balvir Singh (42), another resident of the village, said, “After losing home in 1993, I constructed a ‘pucca house’ few years ago. Now, it appears that I would lose it again. I hardly earn ₹500 per day by working in fields of farmers. I am out of work for the past seven days and whole of my family has been hit hard by the floods.”
Pargat Singh, who lives near NH-52, where a portion of road caved in, had also lost his house in 1993 flood. He said, “Though water has started receding, my house remained submerged for three days and the water level is still around 5-foot high in the house.”
Lehra SDM Suba Singh, who also holds the charge of Moonak sub-division, said, “We have started a survey in the area and those who have suffered losses will get compensation as per the government policy.”
