Stranded, Punjab flood victims say won’t leave homes, livestock behind
With hundreds of villages across eight districts of Punjab inundated since late August, at least 24 people have died, mostly in building collapses.
5 min read
The shelter on rooftopRanjit Kaur and her family have been living on their rooftop for the past three days. Their home in Lal Singh Wala village of Ajnala in Punjab has been submerged by floodwaters. Their two children have been sent to relatives’ homes in “safer locations”. But, speaking to The Indian Express over phone, Ranjit said she and her husband won’t leave.
“Even if we get the opportunity to evacuate, we won’t… I have only one buffalo, and this is my only source of survival. How can I leave it behind?” she said, adding that she was clutching a rope tied to the animal which is being sheltered on a raised platform.
Similar scenes were playing out this weekend across Ajnala and Chak Aul nearby, less than 10 km from the India-Pakistan border — the two villages cut off, water lapping against homes on streets turned into rivers. Families here were camping on terraces, keeping a watch on their belongings, fearful that thieves might loot what little is left.
With hundreds of villages across eight districts of Punjab inundated since late August, at least 24 people have died, mostly in building collapses. According to officials, the flooding followed incessant rains in the catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and J&K, compounded by the release of water from dams, such as Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar, which caused the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers to overflow and seasonal rivulets to swell.
Punjab witnessed floods in 2023 and 2019 but officials estimate that this is “one of the worst” swells along the Ravi with water submerging villages in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka. Educational institutions across the state were closed on August 27, with the government later extending the shutdown until September 3.
Former Sarpanch Joginder Singh at ground floor of his home in Chak Aul.
On Sunday, the state’s Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said that so far 14,936 people have been evacuated to safer places from flood-affected areas across the state. The entire state machinery along with NDRF, SDRF, Army and Punjab Police personnel are working to safeguard lives and property, he said.
Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Anurag Verma said 3 lakh acres of land have been affected so far, impacting around 1.25 lakh people.
Local residents in Lal Singh Wala and Chak Aul said official relief supplies were yet to reach their villages. “Our village got its first assistance from Sikh preachers in Guru Ka Bagh, who brought fodder for animals and rations for villagers. So far, no administration has reached us. Maybe they will come tomorrow (Monday),” said Avatar Singh, sarpanch of Lal Singh Wala.
According to the sarpanch, the sudden surge of water left villagers with little time to prepare. “We could shift only some belongings to the upper floors,” Avatar said.
Grab from video in which Punjab CM helicopter almost uprooted a hut on rooftop.
Despite appeals from the administration, most residents like Ranjit Kaur are unwilling to evacuate. “Our area is notorious for drug addicts. If we leave our homes, they will loot whatever remains. And it is impossible to move livestock in such a hurry — the water came too quickly,” said Joginder Singh, sarpanch of Chak Aul.
His ground floor, used for storing farm equipment, is now under water, and tubewells are submerged, leaving families in the neighbourhood short of drinking water. “We had some warning that floods might come, but we never imagined the water would rise so fast,” said Satnam Singh of Lal Singh Wala.
The shelter on rooftop
Adding to the despair, a viral video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s helicopter on a relief assignment has sparked outrage in the area. The downdraft of the helicopter, deployed by Mann to drop relief material, nearly blew away a temporary polythene hut as it hovered low, triggering panic among residents. Besides, most of the ration that was dropped fell into the swirling waters and was wasted.
The crisis on the ground has also led to a “black market” in essential items. “The price of polythene sheets has jumped from Rs 130 per kg to Rs 170-200 per kg. Bottled water is being sold at double the price,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher, president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who toured the flood-hit villages on a tractor.
Ajnala MLA and former minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has, meanwhile, released video messages warning shopkeepers against exploiting the situation. And, civil society organisations and NGOs have stepped in with food, water and fodder, filling gaps left by the administration.
You May Like
