Anandpur Sahib: NGOs reach flood-hit locality, only to find abandoned houses

Anandpur Sahib, August 20

As water level in the area has started receding, volunteers of various NGOs and social organisations reached Harsa Bela Vazir Basti only to find that all 17 families have abandoned their homes and shifted to safer places with their livestock.

The flood-hit camping at nearby Bhangala basti said three houses in their area were washed away in the flood. Fearing for life and livestock, they then decided to leave the place.

It was around 4 pm when a group of volunteers from NGOs “Manavata Ki Sewa”, “United Sikhs” and social orgainsations “Punjab Morcha” and “Kirti Kisan Morcha” reached the village that remained inundated since August 15 when the BBMB had released the water into the Sutlej, flooding the area.

Gurnam Singh, a local resident, said three houses in the village were badly damaged in floods, following which all of them decided to shift to a safer place. The flow of water was strong and it was eroding the land in their village, he said.

Dalbir Singh, a 65-year-old farmer said it was for the first time that they had suffered so much losses. Many of them had lost even their agriculture land, he said.

Karambir Singh, another villager, said after shifting to Bhangala Basti, they had no space to live. All their belongings were now lying in the open.