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Ludhiana: Dhokha Mohalla still suffers as Buddha Nullah sludge lingers after floodwaters recede
Black, smelly sludge from the Buddha Nullah still covers some parts of the street and at some spots it still is as high as ankles; the locals can’t walk around freely
After torrential rain lashed Ludhiana on Sunday and Monday, floodwaters from the polluted Buddha Nullah surged into low-lying residential areas, submerging homes and streets in black, foul-smelling sludge. While the water began receding by Tuesday, residents in severely affected pockets like Dhokha Mohalla are still grappling with the aftermath — damaged homes, destroyed belongings, and an unbearable stench that refuses to go away.
With little to no official help reaching them, these families now face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from what remains.
Sunita Devi’s 40-year-old sick son was sleeping in the wee hours of Monday when the dirty waste water from the Buddha Nullah started running into his room. In no time the room was flooded almost to the roof.
Sunita (60) lives in a tiny tightly packed home in the street number zero of Dhokha Mohalla along the Buddha Nullah. This street was one of the most affected in the flooding after the torrential rain on Sunday and Monday. And her house, one of the oldest, is around 6-8 feet below the level of the street.
Black, smelly sludge from the Buddha Nullah still covers some parts of the street and at some spots it still is as high as ankles. The locals can’t walk around freely.
“We are a family of five, including my son, his wife and two grandchildren. My son has a serious respiratory problem and he can’t work. Me and my daughter-in-law work as domestic help in the area to make our ends meet,” lamented Sunita.
Due to the incessant rains the roof over the old room has started caving in. “We find it so hard to manage two square meals and medicine for my son. How are we going to get over this,” she said.
Sunita is but one of the victims of the recent flooding in the area.
All houses in the locality were flooded and while the dirty waste water from the Buddha Nullah may have receded, the people are forced to live in a stench. Most of the houses are narrow and there isn’t any ventilation.
“There was at least 3 feet high water in our house. All the beds, clothes, blankets, quilts and mattress are still damp. The furniture itself appears to be rotting. Where can we move it so that it can dry up a little? There just isn’t any space. This all is going to be a waste,” said Chandra Kanta (65) who also lives in the same lane.
And it is not just homes, some of the people who ran small grocery stores in the area also had their stock destroyed due to flooding.
Poonam Chadha (42) runs a small provisional store outside her home. All the pulses and flour that she had in the shop was turned into a waste in the flood.
“I have two kids. Both of them are in college. I am the only breadwinner. I am worried as to how I am going to recover my loss and pay my children’s fees on time.” she said.
MLA Ashok Prashar and deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain visited the area on Thursday to assess the damages, but the residents alleged that they only kept to the parts that were less damaged and no official had so far visited them to take stock of their condition. They also assured that the people would be compensated for all the losses.
“No one came to help us. We had nothing to eat for two whole days. They (MLA and DC) didn’t come here as this street is badly affected and the sludge from the Buddha Nullah is still lying around,” said Poonam.
