Disaster-hit demand speedy rehabilitation

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 23

Over 200 villages in the Kumaon region, which had witnessed massive destruction in the flash floods in 2010 and 2013, still await rehabilitation. Though politicians have made tall claims in the past to ensure that the benefit reaches the affected villagers, nothing concrete has been done so far, claim residents.

Most of the disaster-hit villages were declared unsafe and enlisted for rehabilitation but projects are yet to see the light of the day.

Devendra Deva, a resident of Jimia village, said, “Quiry and Jimia villages in the Munsiyari subdivision, which were fertile and known for rajma cultivation, were devastated in 2001 and 2009 landslides. These have not yet been rehabilitated. They are no longer engaged in traditional cultivation of organic crops.”

Over 200 disaster-hit villages were shortlisted in the Kumaon region in 2011 for rehabilitation. Of these, 129 are in Pithoragarh district. The government had announced to give 250 square metre of land each to beneficiaries near their agricultural land for rehabilitation but not even a single village has got such benefits.

A disaster management official said Pithoragarh district had the highest number of disaster-affected villages. Bageswar with 42 such villages follows the list. Champawat, Almora, Nainital and US Nagar have 10, 9, 6 and 1 villages. “The government gave assistance to villagers but they didn’t construct their houses,” said Pithoragarh Disaster Management Officer RS Rana.

Out of 14 disaster-hit villages in Almora, nine are there in the rehabilitation list. Five more villages still face the threat of landslides in the monsoon, which can result in loss of lives. “Over 242 families from 14 villages of Almora, Ranikhet and Chaukhutia subdivisions are waiting for the rehabilitation promises to be fulfilled,” said Deep Joshi, an Almora journalist.

Almora District Magistrate Sachin Bansal said the process of rehabilitating 40 families of highly sensitive villages of Buradhar, Balta and Ksairkhet in Almora subdivision was on. Villagers were being given Rs 3 lakh each with land to construct their houses. Other villages will also be rehabilitated in the second phase,” he added.