Punjab floods: Tractor-trolleys become shelters for distraught families in Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur, Sep 1 (PTI) Forced out of their homes due to flooding, many families in Hoshiarpur have turned tractor-trolleys into makeshift shelters, lined up along the Sri Hargobindpur road as they face heavy rains and the threat of their homes being washed away.

54-year-old Manjit Singh, a resident of Rara village, shared that the floodwaters have not only destroyed his farmland but have also left his house submerged under three feet of water.

With his two brothers and their families, a total of 12 members, including women and children, Singh has been camping under tarpaulin sheets on tractor-trolleys parked near the Rara bridge.

"We managed to bring some clothes, two bags of wheat, and a few essentials. Our cattle are also tied here with us," he stated on Monday, expressing his fear of his mud house collapsing as water surrounds it from all sides. He mentioned that one nearby house has already caved in.

Singh, who owns 2.5 acres of land and has another 15 acres on contract, grows sugarcane, paddy, maize, and poplar.

"All the crops, except for poplar, have been destroyed in the floods. Even though the land we contracted is underwater, we will still have to pay the rent," he lamented, urging the government to compensate farmers for their crop losses and to help rebuild damaged homes.

He shared that dry and green fodder for their cattle is being arranged by philanthropists from nearby villages. Local gurdwaras and voluntary organisations are providing cooked meals, but Singh expressed that the thin tarpaulins initially given to them were inadequate against the rain.

"We had to cover our children with the tarpaulin and sit all night holding an umbrella during the rain. Only today did an NGO provide us with a better cover, so hopefully tonight will be a little better," he said.

Additionally, an MLA from the area visited them recently, distributing rations, cattle fodder, and tarpaulins.

Similar distressing stories are unfolding in other locations as well, as about 40 to 45 families from Rara, Gandhowal and Fatta Kulla villages have also pitched themselves along the same road with nearly 250 cattle.

Most families chose to stay near their villages instead of moving to relief camps set up by the district administration to care for their homes and livestock.

In Kolian village, daily wager Gopal Masih (35) said his two-room 'kutcha' house was damaged, with one room having already collapsed and the other at risk. His family, including his wife, two children, and elderly mother, have taken refuge in the house of the village sarpanch, located on higher ground. "We cook and eat there with a few other families. NGOs are assisting with rations," he said.

The sarpanch's husband, David Masih, noted that around 20 to 25 people from four or five families have sought shelter at their home. "Their own homes are still surrounded by knee-deep water. The real challenge will begin once the floodwaters recede," he said.

Punjab is facing massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

A total of 12 districts, including Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar, are under the impact of floods. PTI COR CHS MPL MPL