Huge losses, Patiala villagers blame poor rescue work

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Tribune press service

Aman Soud

Samana, July 12

For hundreds of villagers in more than a dozen villages in Samana, Tuesday night will be remembered as the darkest night ever. The villagers woke up to the panic of flood warnings, but by then the maximum damage had been done and now the rising water level has submerged their crops, livestock and homes, causing losses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Alert for 7 villages

The administration has issued an alert, asking people to leave the villages of Dwarkapur, Rampur Parta, Arnetu, Bhagwanpur, Chicharwal, Matauli, Kangthala and Guru Nanakpura in Shutrana.

For more than 24 hours, we were on our own. The only boat parked by the local administration never had an expert to use it, villagers from Dharmeri and Gheura said.

Crucial hours were lost as villagers wanted to be evacuated but there was no one to bring them to safety in the high water levels. Even today, two boats manage more than six villages, they added.

Farmers Gherao MLA Dev Mann

In Nabha, angry farmers harassed local MP Dev Mann, blaming the department and administration for deliberately saving some pockets and leaving their fields flooded. MLA had to leave following the slogans of local farmers and villagers.

We saw the floods in 1993 but this time it was worse. The water current was so strong that we thought we would not survive. Throughout Tuesday night, we ran from pillar to post to save their belongings, says septuagenarian Balbir Singh. Our fields were submerged under six feet and our homes under three feet of water. We live on the roofs of our houses, he says.

Accompanied by the police and the local administration, the leaders are busy coming to take photos and videos. Who will collect our cattle and pay for my two daughters’ college tuition, said Niranjan Singh, a 46-year-old farmer.

In the village of Hashimpur Manta, we were left at the mercy of God for more than eight hours and no rescue attempt was made. Today they are asking us to move to relief camps, he said.

From erecting makeshift bandhs outside the village barracks to securing small items on the terraces, the villagers did everything they could to cling to whatever was possible. First they ran for lives, then for property.

It was a horrible sight with water all around. More than 50 buffaloes and cows were taken away. We felt helpless and even my dog ​​is now missing. God will never forgive us, said residents of Mangta village.

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