Flood-hit want to sell land, move out

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 1

Mukhtiar Singh, 55, resident of Lohian, is now completely terrorised by continuous rain and floods. He says after the recent onslaught of rains and floods, he cannot dare to stay in the village. He is meeting some rich villagers of other unaffected areas to whom he could sell his land. He still remembers 1988 floods that had destroyed everything. But somehow he managed to survive and feed his family, but this time it seems impossible.

He is not the only one who is trying to sell the land and move somewhere. Most of the farmers in around 50 villages, which are worst affected with rains and floods, and who have lost everything in the deluge have started looking for ways to move out of these villages. They are bent upon to leave the place due to fear of floods. While the suffering farmers want to move abroad or to the city or other areas, some are ready even do meagre jobs.

“I am 65 now and I don’t know how long I am going to live but I am sure of one thing that in this life I will not be debt-free and will not be able to overcome the loss due to the floods and rains,” Mukhtiar said, adding that he was ready to be a vendor in some faraway city and earn something for his family. He has lost crop in 20 acres of his fields — 10 acres of his own and 10 he had taken on lease.

Resident of Sardarwala village Sarabjeet Singh said several farmers from his village had been trying to contact some NRIs who could buy their lands even at lower rates so that they could move out to safer places.

“But no one is willing to buy the lands which are flood-affected. Why will they even think of purchasing our fields because of the present disastrous situation?” he said.

Harneet Singh of the same village said, “The problem is that even if we think of moving to city, the prices of land there is triple than the prices here. So, even that is not possible. Whole life we have done this sowing and reaping job, leaving this place will be difficult, but then what other option we are left with?” he rued.

The land, which is the only source of their income and which they have been claiming as their own asset and tilling for years together, has become a big liability. Now they are unable to find any answer to the problems which they apprehend like inability to pay the lease amount, loans and interest of banks and arhtias, day-to-day expenses of household, children’s education, etc.