Flood survivors left under the open sky

Affectees on the banks of Sutlej lament lack of rehabilitation

BAHAWALNAGAR:

The flood-affected settlement of Sarwarkot located along the bank of the Sutlej river is facing the spectre of being wiped out because of the indifference and mismanagement of the local administration, forcing its inhabitant families to live in the open.

According to local residents, the high-level flood in the river has subsided but the devastation caused by it persists.

They said the floodwater had submerged even the graves of their ancestors in addition to their home and fields.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, they said the flood had relentlessly swept away not just their household items but also their animals and crops.

A villager, Maulana Kabir, recounted that his savings accumulated in decades had been invested in a house at a substantial distance from the river but it had been engulfed by water overflowing from the river after eroding its banks.

Families, including Kabir's, now face uncertainty and despair, following the loss of their livelihood and shelter.

The affected residents have also taken to the streets in protest, demanding relief measures from the government on an emergency basis.

Some residents are also considering to relocate to other areas on their own because of the lack of any government support.

Massive flooding in the Sutlej river after a gap of 35 years had wreaked havoc in three tehsils of the Bahawalnagar district, resulting in the largest displacement of people in the region's history.

Many people displaced by the flood are still unable to return to their homes, but the district administration has, for the most part, remained a passive bystander, failing to provide them essential necessities such as food, shelter and transportation in their hometowns.

The floodwater submerged hundreds of villages in various areas, and land erosion by the river intensified in the vicinity of Akoka.

The destruction of key link roads during the flood left dozens of villages inaccessible and caused the loss of hundreds of acres of land and numerous homes to the relentless river flow.

The river water irrigated 52 localities in the area through two canals, the Sikandar Minor and Daulat Wah, which were devastated by the flood, threatening to render the entire area barren and causing the loss of livelihood to thousands of farmers.

However, the government is yet to launch any significant initiative for the rehabilitation of the affected population.

According to a local land office employee, Shahid Khan, numerous appeals have been made to the district administration for a relief package but they proved futile.

However, when protests ensued against the apathy of the officials concerned, the authorities promptly came into action to arrest the protesters.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2023.