Submerged in despair: Ghaziabad struggles as houses still inundated

In the wake of a major breach at the Alipur embankment near Subhanpur, the lives of thousands of people in Ghaziabad’s Loni have been turned upside down

“Sab doob gaya (everything is drowned),” said Khushbu Nisha, 60, as she helplessly watches her 50 square yard house in nearby Badarpur village, submerged beneath the waters.

Man villagers are taking shelter near the embankment in Loni, Ghaziabad. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

In the wake of a major breach at the Alipur embankment near Subhanpur, the lives of thousands of people in Ghaziabad’s Loni have been turned upside down. The breach, which began on Thursday evening, took two days to plug, causing extensive flooding in the area.

“We invested all our savings of ₹3.5 lakhs six years ago to purchase this land and spent an equal amount on construction. Now our house lies completely submerged, requiring complete rebuilding. At our age, 60 and 65, we lack the strength and means to start afresh,” said Nisha.

Nisha’s husband Munna Khan, 65, a daily-wage embroiderer at nearby Tronica City factories, said, “For the past 4-5 days, we have been staring helplessly at our submerged house,” his voice choked with emotion. “Our two children are married and settled, unable to assist us as they have families of their own. My daily earnings range from 200 to 300 rupees, sometimes even nothing. Rebuilding our house is beyond our capabilities now.”

The situation has forced hundreds of locals and villagers to seek refuge at the embankment, enduring scarcity of drinking water, food, and a proper shelter to sleep. Pandit Haldiram Tiwary, a friend of Munna Khan, spoke up about the dire situation, expressing their pleas for help. “The state government claims to have sent aid for those affected by the floods, but it isn’t reaching us,” Tiwary said.

“We want our voices to be heard. There isn’t a single drinking water tanker stationed here for us. We are forced to run to camps set up by Delhi nearby, relying on NGOs and private associations for polythene sheets, food, and water. Without their assistance, we would have starved by now,” Tiwary added.

The devastation caused by the overflowing Yamuna river has impacted approximately 10,000 people in various villages, including Nauraspur, Alipur, Mirpur Hindu, Lutfullapur Nawada, Badarpur, Khanpur Japti, Harampur, Ilaichipur, and Pychara. Additionally, the floodwaters have affected factories in Loni’s Tronica City and nearby residential areas in Baghpat district.

The residents claim that most resources have been diverted to the Kanwar Yatra and anticipate receiving assistance once the festivities conclude in a day or two. “We are hopeful that relief will arrive soon,” one resident said.

“Currently, we rely on a handpump for drinking water. Tractors are summoned from friends and locals when there’s a need to bathe or relieve ourselves in safer places. Electricity has been unavailable for 3-4 days. Thankfully, people from Loni have come forward, providing food packets with soybean and rice or Alu puri. We managed to get a few packets somehow. My house is surrounded by water, and my elder brother Yusuf’s house is completely submerged,” said Mohammad Islam, a resident at the embankment.

However, the limited shelter available at the embankment, with small tents measuring 5-6 feet, can only accommodate 5-10 people at best. Irshad, a resident of Badarpur, said, “There is constant fighting to secure a spot beneath the tents. With no help in sight, we endured heavy rain on Saturday night.”

Shahnawaz, 30, from Puja Colony, said that the first help from the local administration came in form of a water tanker on Sunday morning. “Water tanker arrived on Sunday morning,” he shared. “Our locality is submerged under approximately 4-4.5 feet of water, entering one house after another. I managed to salvage some belongings by placing them on my bed, which is now submerged. I had to send my children to a friend’s house. There is no electricity, and the first assistance we received was the water tanker at 9 am on Sunday.”

Vivek Srivastava, the additional district magistrate (ADM), said that relief efforts are underway. “My team and I are currently in Loni, inspecting the affected areas,” he said.

“We are distributing food packets and essential items to those affected, utilizing tractors. Various teams from the health department, Nagar Palika, National Disaster Response Force, and others are working tirelessly to provide aid. While the breach at the Alipur embankment has been sealed, the water level in Loni remains high. We are exploring methods to drain the water, but it is an arduous task. The assessment of crop damage will be conducted once the water recedes,” the ADM added.