How can we survive on blankets, tarpaulin sheets: Flood-hit families in Himachal Pradesh

Rampur (Himachal Pradesh), Aug 22 (PTI) With flash floods causing massive destruction in the Ganvi area of Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district, the affected families are concerned about the meagre help that is coming their way.

The flash floods triggered by heavy rains damaged a police post, a bus stand, shops, houses, bridges and roads in Ganvi village, near Rampur, on August 13.

"The administration has given us just a blanket and a tarpaulin sheet," Pooja, whose house has been damaged in the flash floods, said, adding that the house is surrounded by water and even after nine days, they are unable to take their belongings out.

"How can we survive like this?" she asked.

Echoing the sentiment, another woman, Vimla Devi, said everything in her house is submerged and "we are supposed to survive on one blanket, a tarpaulin sheet and some ration".

The Ganvi rivulet has changed its course towards residential areas, submerging settlements and forcing families to take shelter in the houses of their relatives and friends.

"After the flood on August 13, roads and bridges collapsed, and houses and shops were washed away," said Ramswaroop Khaush, a local resident, adding that officials visited the area but even after nine days, "nothing has changed".

Locals rued that while government and administration officials made big promises immediately after the disaster, the ground reality remains unchanged. Plans to divert the rivulet's flow, construct protective walls and restore roads exist only on paper.

"Adequate help is not given to the flood victims yet and we urge the administration to at least divert the rivulet's flow to prevent further damage to houses," said another local resident, Satya Prakash Negi.

"The floods have washed away everything and I have nowhere to go," rued Sar Kali, who was running a shop at the Ganvi bus stand for the last 18 years. PTI COR BPL RC