Remember Waltengo?

One hundred and sixty-one people died, 128 houses were destroyed. But the Waltengo Nar tragedy of February 19, when the sleepy Gujjar villag...

One hundred and sixty-one people died, 128 houses were destroyed. But the Waltengo Nar tragedy of February 19, when the sleepy Gujjar village was swept by a blizzard, was fast slipping into oblivion when the horror in Uri and Tangdhar resurrected it as a lesson in what not to do in disaster management.

Seven months after the record snowfall, the survivors of Waltengo Nar are still living in canvas tents. 8216;8216;If this is how this government has dealt with a disaster far smaller in scale than the recent quake, there is no hope for the victims in Uri and Tanghdar,8217;8217; says Haji Buland Khan, vice-chairman of the Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board GBAB, who recently complained to Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed about the slow pace of the rehabilitation. 8216;8216;I trust Mufti Saheb but so far there has been no change in the situation at Waltengo.8217;8217;

Though the government is constructing shelters, only 40 are up so far; 88 families are still homeless. 8216;8216;Where shall we go? Even the 40 houses under construction are incomplete,8217;8217; says Bashir Ahmad Deedah, a teacher, who also lost six members of his family in the storm. 8216;8216;Besides, each housing unit has one kitchen, one hall, a bathroom and a store which is insufficient for the joint Gujjar families. The quality of construction is also poor.8217;8217;

With the Valley8217;s harsh winter looming around the corner, the people are getting impatient. 8216;8216;Are we supposed to live in canvas tents in snow and rain?8217;8217; asks Bashir. 8216;8216;If the government cannot build houses for us in time, it should make arrangement for us in Jammu.8217;8217;

The villagers complain only 30 families received the 8216;8216;full aid8217;8217;. 8216;8216;An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh had been announced with central and state government providing Rs 1 lakh each. But most of the families have received only Rs 50,000,8217;8217; says Haji Buland Khan. 8216;8216;This is sheer injustice.8217;8217;

GBAB is now demanding the setting up of a Relief Management Committee headed by the victims themselves. 8216;8216;This will help in the proper monitoring of the relief provided and received,8217;8217; says Khan.