M A I N   N E W S

LEH REVISITED
Almost a year after tragedy, relief hasn’t reached people
Leh cloudburst victims are struggling to take hold of their lives. A first-hand account of their travails
Jupinderjit Singh writes from Nimmu

July 18
Yang Chan Dolma of Nimmu, a proud owner of a substantial piece of land and a general store before the cloudburst hit various parts of Ladakh division in August last year, has now been working as a labourer to make both ends meet.

Damaged houses in Wakha village on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Tribune photos: Anand Sharma

Yang Chan Dolma shows the torn clothes that were sent by an NGO.

As one travels to Leh, remnants of last year’s tragedy are still visible. Yang Chan Dolma shows us her damaged house and the fields behind it. “I had my house -- which was my whole world — here when the cloudburst brought about the flash floods. It took away everything we had, including our shop, and even today we cannot cultivate the fields.”

Her house had an excellent location. The shop opened onto the busy Leh-Srinagar road and the land touched a rivulet. The rivulet that fed her family for years took away all in one stroke, she lamented.

Her daughter Stenzin Dolma explained that their fields were now too hard to handle. “I am forced to do labour work in other fields or at construction sites.”

Nimmu was the worst hit outside Leh. Nearly 80 per cent of the houses were damaged in the flash floods. The government had announced it would construct houses but so far only Rs 1 lakh for each damaged house has been provided. Nothing has been provided for the damaged or destroyed shops.

Victims say the compensation is too meagre. “What can you arrange for yourself in Rs 1 lakh?” asked Dolma. “Moreover, they have not provided anything for the shops. The administration claimed it would get our houses constructed but we had to do it on our own.”

In Wakha village, situated on the Srinagar-Leh highway, Nasir Hussain and Sonam Targis have the same tale to tell. “I had two shops and three stores. The floods swept away everything. I even had Rs 73,000 in cash in one of the stores... and I did not get a single penny,” said Nasir.

Worse, Nasir had to shift location and that meant extra money. “Very little relief reached us,” claimed Sonam Targis, pointing towards his barren fields and the damaged house and shops. “Many like me are unable to cultivate. I got no compensation.”

Leh Deputy Commissioner Tersing Angshok admitted that compensation for shops could not be provided. “We are awaiting aid from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. We had sent our requirement to the Centre.”