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It is exactly two years since a devastating deluge in the state claimed thousands of lives and rendered hundreds homeless, but for a majority of those affected, a safe, new home still continues to be a distant dream. While many said they are living in ramshackle, makeshift dwellings, others spoke of being condemned to carry on as refugees in neighbouring villages.
As per official figures, as many as 1,800 out of a total of 2,510 families are living precariously in houses which were declared unsafe and uninhabitable soon after the tragedy. Flash floods which hit Uttarakhand on June 16-17, 2013, affected more than one lakh people living in around 4,200 villages. Dozens of villages and human settlements were washed away by floodwaters in the worst hit districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Uttarkashi, leaving hundreds of families homeless.
Two years on, little has changed for the residents of most of the affected villages, barring just a handful in Chamoli district. Semi village located en route to Kedarnath near Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district serves as an example of the sorry state of affairs.
Rising waters of a furious Mandakini river had caused massive landslides in the village, prompting a decision by the administration to relocate the whole habitation. However, despite the passage of two years, that shift is yet to be effected.
“Left with no choice, people are forced to live in their ramshackle, half-broken houses despite being aware of the dangers of doing so,” says Semi village chief Yogendra Bisht. “Some of the houses in this village had been declared completely damaged and unsafe for habitation, but their residents have not got their alternative houses fully built yet,” said Bisht.
Kalimath, Chilaund and Chandrapuri villages of Rudraprayag district are facing a similar situation. Initially, there were plans to relocate these villages. However, the state government is now building new homes for the affected families at the same unsafe location with the help of World Bank, claimed Bisht.
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