Floods in Uttarakhand claims 36 lives, destroys 20 villages

ALMORA - The flood situation in Uttarakhand’s Almora district has killed 36 people, destroying 20 villages out of 2,200 villages in the district.

Relief workers are operating to remove debris and reach out to the people trapped in far-off villages.

Houses suffered damage with huge cracks; roofs were blown off or were flooded. Most roads got massive gaps and some were washed away, disconnecting the routes to nearby cities and towns.

The locals complained that the government failed to provide them with any kind of relief.

“We are homeless now. The government has not provided us with any help. We are managing things on our own.” said Bhola Nath, a resident of Almora.

The officials said they are surveying the flood-hit areas and all kinds of assistance are being given, even though the compensation package amount has increased.

“After monitoring the situation, the State Government adopted immediate measures to provide relief. The compensation package given to the families of those who died due to flood was increased from rupees 1,00,000 to rupees 2,50,000,” said Prakash Pant, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Pilgrimage Endowment, Parliamentary Affairs and Re-organisation, Uttarakhand.

“Initially, the compensation provided to the people who lost their house was rupees 35,000 but later it was increased to rupees 50,000. The compensation provided for damaged livestock, broken houses and damaged farms were increased. We are doing survey of the area and residential areas under threat will be resettled,” he added.

The monsoon this year caused heavy floods in several parts of India like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, causing heavy devastation to life and property. By Vipul Goel (ANI)