Houses washed away, Dhaka Basti villagers back at riverbed to pick up pieces — & bricks
A villager drowned while trying to retrieve bricks from his collapsed house to make a new one.
3 min read
. Dhaka Basti residents tie tubes around their bodies as makeshift life buoys to collect bricks at great personal risk. (Representational image/File) Residents of Dhaka Basti, a village in Punjab’s Jalandhar, are retrieving bricks from their houses that were washed during the devastating floods in July from the Sutlej River.
Dhaka Basti, under the Lohian block of the Shahkot sub-division, suffered extensive damage during the floods on the night of July 11. The villagers initially sought refuge in relief camps and are now living in makeshift accommodations in Null village where they are either staying under tarpaulin or in tents.
The floods also caused houses to collapse in several neighbouring villages along the Sutlej River. The breach in the Dhussi Bandh or earthen embankment along the river also inundated the homes of residents, leading to further destruction.
The Indian Express had previously reported on the devastating flood that ravaged their villages. After waiting for assistance for two months, the villagers have now taken up to salvaging bricks from the river to reconstruct their homes. Dhaka Basti residents tie tubes around their bodies as makeshift life buoys to collect bricks at great personal risk.
A villager lost his life while attempting to recover bricks and other household items from the river on a Friday evening.
Harmesh, 45, who was living out in the open with his family after their house collapsed in the flood, had been going to extract bricks for the past few days along with his two sons and wife. On that fateful Friday, he ventured alone into the water but did not return. His body was recovered near the river later in the evening.
Harmesh, a labourer, is survived by his wife, elderly mother, and two teenage sons.
Following his death, the government gave his wife a compensation of Rs. 4.5 lakh. “The family is so impoverished that I had to bear all the expenses of the cremation,” said Rana Yadwinder Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Lohian Police Station.
Butta Singh, another villager from Dhaka Basti, is facing a similar plight. Singh, who has been living in a tent in Null village’s grain market, is also trying to recover bricks along with his family.
Villagers allege the promises of aid during the floods have been empty words.
“If you want to witness the ground reality, visit our villages where houses have crumbled due to breaches in the embankment. People are retrieving bricks from the submerged remains of their old houses to reconstruct houses for their families,” said Harnek Singh, another villager.
Residents of Dhaka Basti have been pleading with the government for years to relocate them to a safer location. However, neither the current government nor previous administrations have paid heed to their pleas.
While leaders initially provided them with shelter in the grain market by setting up tents, they are now being asked to vacate the area due to the upcoming paddy harvesting season next month, said Harjinder Singh of the village.
“In these circumstances, we have no choice but to salvage bricks from the submerged and broken houses,” said Butta Singh.
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