Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
On a bridge over the Beas River in Punjab’s Sultanpur Lodhi is a flood relief camp that has been operating for more than two weeks, with volunteers tending to both people and their livestock. The heaps of animal fodder and water bottles stand testament to the volunteers’ belief that here, all victims of floods—whether human or animal—are equally important.
“Right now, the crops are underwater. It is not known when the water will recede or what the condition of the land will be, so the only resource people are left with is their livestock,” said Rajinder Singh Khemkaran, a volunteer associated with Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh.
“It is important that the livestock survive so people have some hope to rebuild their lives after the water recedes. So, we have been focusing on livestock fodder and relief material for people,” he added.
Punjab has witnessed severe flooding this month following heavy rainfall. The relief camp near Baupur Kadim village has been operational since August 12. All the relief material has been collected from the Majha and Malwa regions via Tarn Taran.
Initially, the camp operated from the slope of the Beas river bridge, but with the water levels rising and a part of the slope submerged, the space for storing relief material has shrunk. Rising water levels have also forced parts of the camp to be shifted further back from the riverbank.
Relief work is now being managed from two locations, as volunteers continue to support 32 flood-hit villages of Sultanpur Lodhi, among the first to face the floods when waters rose in Punjab.
“We were first to establish this camp, as this area was the first hit due to the floods. Politics is not on our mind. We have received support from all parts of Punjab,” Rajinder said. Contributions have poured in from across the state, from Fatehgarh Sahib to Bathinda to Mansa, volunteers said.
Every day at 4 pm, volunteers at the camp, named ‘Tuhada Apna Camp’, distribute rations—fodder for cattle and supplies for households. Household supplies generally include flour, pulses, sugar, salt, and oil, although the exact distribution varies daily. Drinking water bottles are also a part of the supplies.
“We brought fodder from Barnala. We had watched videos about the flood relief, so we collected funds and arranged fodder for animals,” said Sukhwinder Singh, unloading a trolley of supplies.
Apart from the rising water levels, the camp has faced a diesel shortage—it is needed for generators, transport, and machinery—and lacks its own boats. Locals staying near the river have been ferrying supplies using their boats and a large barge.
“We had asked the administration for boats, but they said that their boats operate only in 10 ft water. Some of the villagers around here have their own boats, and they are using these to take the supplies from us,” said Rajinder.
“This is just one of the several camps operating in the state, with others active in Gurdaspur and Ferozepur,” he added.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
