All affected families will be fully compensated: Dr Jitendra
Avtar Bhat
KATHUA. Jan 11: The residents of village Bagra (Moda Dilwan), in Kathua district which saw lot of devastation during the flash floods and cloudburst in August last year are still craving for water supply as till date the Jal Shakti Department has failed to restore the same to the devastated village. However, the authorities said that they are on the job and the water supply to the village will permanently be restored at an earliest as the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the same has been framed on the directives of Additional Chief Secretary, Shaleen Kabra.
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The hapless villagers who submitted a memorandum to District Development Commissioner, Kathua in this regard yesterday said that they were facing severe hardships as water supply has remained totally disturbed in the area due to the unfortunate calamity that struck Bagra on the intervening night of 16/17 August last year.
They said heavy overnight rainfall and a sudden cloudburst caused massive destruction in the ill fated village. Tragically, two women lost their lives in this incident, and many domestic animals were swept away, roads and service pipelines were also completely damaged in the flash floods. Some residential houses were either completely damaged or partially destroyed, leaving many families homeless and in distress, they added.
The hapless villagers said since that dreadful night, the entire village has been living under constant fear, trauma, and extreme hardship. They said they are still living in tents since then.
However, the most serious problem which they have been facing since then is the acute shortage of drinking water for both human beings and animals. “Although we have approached the PHE Department several times, but no effective steps were taken by the Department to restore the water supply till date,. We have also submitted memorandum to other higher ups in the administration, but till date, neither water tankers have been arranged nor damaged pipelines repaired,” they added.
Mansa Mohammed, a villager whose house was damaged in cloudburst and flash floods and three buffalos and 15 goats were washed away in the natural calamity said “I am living in tent as well as other affected families as no compensation for construction of new houses were paid to us”.
Kalu Din, another affected villager whose house was damaged and over 40 sheep were washed away said no alternative or permanent water source has been provided also to the villagers to solve the drinking water problem. “Due to this, we are forced to fetch drinking water from a distance of nearly six kilometers on foot, carrying pots on our heads,. This has made life extremely miserable, especially for women, children, elderly persons and livestock,. This has turned our daily survival a painful struggle” he added.
These villagers made an appeal to higher ups in administration to issue directives to the concerned department to arrange immediate and regular supply of safe drinking water through tankers or any other suitable means, and also to provide a permanent alternative water source for village Bagra Gujjaran besides releasing the compensation for houses.
However, taking the cognizance of the matter, Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh who is also MP from Kathua, Udhampur and Doda Lok Sabha constituency said that all the families affected by floods and cloud burst will be compensated to fullest. He said over five days back a meeting was held in Kathua with District administration which was also attended by DC Kathua, Rajesh Sharma in which the implementation of Centre’s special package for flood hit people was discussed.
Dr Jitendra Singh said every household which was damaged in the last year floods will be compensated for the damage of residential houses and live stock and the directives were issued to district authorities in this regard. The concerned tehsildars have been asked to submit the report at an earliest so that the compensation process is finalized without any delay.
DC Kathua, Rajesh Sharma while admitting that the water supply to the village Bagra (Gujjaran) Moda Dilwan was affected due to massive floods and cloudbursts that occurred on August 16 and 17 last year resulting in extensive damage to the PHE infrastructure in the area, said soon after this catastrophe immediate arrangements were made to provide drinking water the affected population through water tankers and by cleaning of community wells.
He said the temporary restoration works have been taken up and the works in Bhed Baloda and Maloooh areas of Dilwan stand completed, through which the water supply to some portions has been restored. However, full restoration of the water supply can be taken up only after approved works under permanent restoration, the process for which stands initiated, he added.
He said during the last year’s natural disaster Morha Bagra of village Dilwan was affected as most of the other villages of district Kathua. He said families affected were provided instant relief on spot. Immediate relief to the affected families was provided including ration, daily use items, tent , kitchen utensils etc besides SDRF relief as per norms.
A spokesman of the Jal Shakti Department said that a DPR amounting to Rs 69 lakh for complete restoration of the water supply to the village has been framed on the directives of the Additional Chief Secretary, Shaleen Kabra and within some days tenders for the work will be issued so that work can be started at an earliest.
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