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Ludhiana: Residents await aid as flood damage worsens
Adding to the residents’ woes, the drinking water supply has also been contaminated; officials reportedly took water samples and advised residents to run their motors for over an hour to clear the contaminated water
For the past two weeks, residents of Dhoka Mohalla have been grappling with the devastating aftermath of a flood caused by the overflow of the Buddha Nullah. Homes in the narrow lanes of the neighbourhood were submerged in 3-4 feet of contaminated water on September 1, leading to extensive damage and significant losses for local families. As of today, two weeks later, residents are still waiting for aid to arrive.
The flooding has left a trail of destruction, destroying household belongings and personal items. Taran, a 40-year-old garment shop worker whose house is just 50 metres from the nullah, described the scene of loss. “My kitchen was flooded. The fridge is damaged. All the groceries kept in the kitchen, flour, rice, pulses, etc, were all damaged. We stayed without food for around two days,” he said. Taran, the sole breadwinner for a family of six, also lost his bed, mattress, quilts, an almirah full of clothes, and a washing machine.
Similar devastation was seen throughout the neighbourhood. Poonam Chadda, who runs a small grocery store from her home, lamented the damage to both her personal property and her business. “We have suffered a lot of damage. It will take us a long time to recover,” she said, adding that she lost her store’s stock in addition to domestic appliances like her fridge and washing machine. She also noted that due to the lack of sunlight in the narrow lanes, furniture and bedding have begun to rot.
According to locals, government officials visited the area five to six days ago to assess the damage. Taran mentioned that the officials took their Aadhaar Cards, promising that monetary help would be disbursed soon, but no further details were provided.
Adding to the residents’ woes, the drinking water supply has also been contaminated. Officials reportedly took water samples and advised residents to run their motors for over an hour to clear the contaminated water. Taran raised a concern about this instruction, questioning its potential impact on their electricity bills. “If we run the motor for over an hour every day, additionally, won’t it affect our electricity bills?” he asked.
Residents like Poonam Chadda are now urging the government to provide the promised aid. “We need the government to chip in with some aid to help us recover,” she stated.
Dharampura residents relieved after sludge drained
The recipients of Dharampura breathed a sigh of relief as the dark and foul-smelling sludge standing in the streets was drained out on Monday.
“It was hell to live in that dark sludge full of stench right outside our homes. The sewers were blocked and the water in them was standing in the streets,” said 66-year-old Ajeet Kumar, who lives and runs a small shop in one of the affected lanes.
For the last three days, the main sewer line passing through the area had been blocked, and the wastewater had overflowed into the low-lying lanes along the main road.
“There were strong rains in the last couple of weeks. A lot of garbage flew into the sewer due to that. This blocked the sewer in the area, and it started overflowing into the lanes,” said Baljinder Singh, an executive engineer with the Ludhiana MC.
Singh said that the blockage was removed on Monday, following which the water drained out gradually.
The locals have also complained that the drinking water has turned contaminated due to mixing with the leaking sewers.
The water-carrying pipes have small cuts, and when the sewer overflows. The wastewater gets mixed into the fresh water in the pipes.
