Amid deluge, Jalandhar welcomes ‘flood babies’

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 24

Geeta Rani was in full term and could deliver any time. Tense, her husband Swaran Singh saw the water level rising at Nasirpur village in Lohian and decided to take his wife to his relatives in a nearby village.

Now, he is blessed with a boy whom he has named “Yakub” — the follower of Christ. “I have named him after God as it’s just because of Him that my son was born yesterday and is healthy too. Floods took away everything, but God took care of us. Naming my son after God is my way to thank him,” he said.

Navdeep Kaur from Raiwal village also gave birth to a boy yesterday. Her husband Jaswinder Singh, a marginal farmer, too thanked God but was yet to name his child as he was worried for his two-year-old daughter whom he had left with neighbours back home amid heavy rain and floods.

Now called “flood babies” at the Lohian Community Health Centre, employees say if they could brave floods, they would be able to win over all difficulties in life.

Located in the low-lying areas, Nasirpur and Raiwal villages were among the worst-affected. 

“A daily-wager, I am out of job for the past one week. Our house has been washed away and all belongings damaged. But I am satisfied that my wife and son are safe and in good health,” Swaran said, murmuring a short prayer.

Jaswinder said: “Though I’m physically here, my mind and heart are with my daughter who is still stuck in the flooded village. That’s why I haven’t been able to even name my son. His name will definitely be synonymous with bravery.”

Mitri Devi (30), who is 32 weeks’ pregnant, was evacuated by a mobile team from Maharajwala and admitted to the Lohian health centre yesterday. Her husband Vinod Kumar, a driver, said: “We were helplessly stuck in floods, but mobile teams came to our rescue. We just hope everything goes well.”