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Ludhiana: Dhokha Mohalla residents await aid even 2 months after Buddha Nullah floods
Similar damage is widespread across the lane. Residents are struggling to salvage what remains, hampered by the locality’s narrow design
Around two months after the overflowing Buddha Nullah submerged homes in the narrow lanes of Dhokha Mohalla under three to four feet of water, the flood victims are still waiting for the promised government assistance to arrive. The locals face a protracted recovery, as their belongings, including furniture and appliances, were lost, and many homes sustained structural damage from the flooding on September 1.
The financial and personal toll remains heavy. Taran, 40, whose house on street number zero is just 50 metres from the nullah and was among the worst affected, described the devastation. “My kitchen was flooded. The fridge is damaged. All the groceries kept in the kitchen, flour, rice, pulses, etc., were damaged. We stayed without food for around two days,” he recounted. Taran, who is the sole breadwinner for a family of six, also lost a bed with its mattress and quilts, an almirah full of clothes, and his washing machine.
Rotting furniture & contamination fears
Similar damage is widespread across the lane. Residents are struggling to salvage what remains, hampered by the locality’s narrow design. Poonam Chadda, a local, lamented, “My house is very narrow and there is no place for the sunlight to enter so that we could dry our furniture and bedding. The bed has started to rot.”
The flooding has also impacted small business owners. Poonam, who runs a small grocery store from her home, lost not only domestic equipment like her fridge and washing machine but also her entire store stock. “We have suffered a lot of damage. It will take us a long time to recover. We need the government to chip in with some aid to help us recover,” she urged.
Officials surveyed, but assistance stalled
While the community desperately seeks relief, the process of official compensation has moved slowly. Locals confirmed that government officials did visit the neighbourhood in late September to conduct a damage assessment. Taran stated, “In late September, two officials came and asked us about what we had lost. They took our Aadhaar Cards. They said that we’ll get some monetary help soon. They didn’t tell us anything else.”
In addition to physical damage, residents now fear contaminated drinking water. Taran noted that officials took water samples and advised residents to let their motor run for over an hour to clear the contamination. However, this advice has raised another concern: “If we run the motor for over an hour every day, won’t it affect our electricity bills?” he questioned, highlighting the dilemma faced by working families.
Attempts to get a comment from Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain on the delayed aid were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls and texts. The flood victims of Dhokha Mohalla continue their uneasy wait for the promised relief.
