Evacuation proves futile exercise

Tribune News Service

Amritsar/Tarn Taran, Sep 30

Panic due to evacuation order in the border belt in the aftermath of surgical strike of the Indian Army appears to be fading. No major evacuation was reported in border villages of Amritsar, Ajnala and Taran Tarn.

Not a single family has taken shelter in makeshift camps in Amritsar. Many residents, who had resources, shifted their women, children and elder ones in the urban areas. However, adults still preferred to stay back home.

This situation can be witnessed in Ranian, Kakkar, Chak, Dharia, Pandhori, Bachiwind, Kawe and Manj villages located near the border, which falls in the Amritsar district. As many as 137 villages lie in the border belt of Amritsar sector.

Meanwhile, relief camps in Tarn Taran received a few families. A majority of them were women folk and children. The affected villages include Kot Dharam Chand, Bhikhiwind, Chabal, Ghariala, Dialpur and Makhi Kalan.

The president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Manjit Singh GK, said langar sewa would be started for villagers, who were evacuated. He said, “We are identifying places where langar sewa can be started so as to reach out to maximum number of people.”

As many as 300 persons are being taken care of at Gurdwara Bir Baba Budha Sahib run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Though many adult male members of evacuated families went back to take care of their houses in the morning, they were not allowed to go beyond the fence to monitor their crop by defence personnel.

Eleven government school buildings have been put at disposal of affected border belt residents.

Chhabal camp in charge DS Randhawa said around 28 rooms of a government school building were prepared to accommodate another 250 people. But, they were hardly occupied, he added.

Meanwhile, gurdwara manager Jaspal Singh made arrangements to ferry atleast 50 unattended holy Guru Granth Sahib from various shrines located in the border belt with due maryada (Sikh tenets and principles).

Rasoolpur’s Hardeep Singh said, “Many among us have witnessed the 1965, 1971 and Kargil wars. Moreover, we have bad experience in the past as our unattended houses were looted for lack of the police vigil.”

He said, “People are reluctant to move due to uncertainty. They will not shift till there the Army moves artillery on the border and prepares bunkers or defence drains are filled with water.”

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said the administration had set up 15 camps. He said 20 Punjab Roadways buses were spared to ferry affected people of the border belt.

“Government officials have been put on duty on rotational basis to take care of arrangements. The disaster management squad has been put on alert,” he added.

Arrangements were made for 500 persons at government school in Khasa, but no one turned up. BDPO Tajinder Kumar, who was overseeing arrangements, said floor bedding was provided in 25 rooms along with washrooms.