This story is from September 8, 2020

Worst flood in 100 yrs leaves trail of devastation in Bhandara villages

Worst flood in 100 yrs leaves trail of devastation in Bhandara villages
Bhandara: On road to Bhandara, there are few signs of the worst flood in the last 100 years. The scars can only be seen off the highway where each village has a different story.
August 29 was like any other monsoon day for the locals, but by evening waters of Wainganga river reached their doorsteps. They fled to safer spots salvaging whatever belongings they could.

As much water as as seven times the capacity of Gosikhurd dam was released in Wainganga river for two days. The incident once again exposed problems dogging rehabilitation of people affected by Gosikhurd project. Many have not left their homes even years after their land was taken over and have exhausted the money they got as compensation.
TOI travelled to six affected villages in Bhandara district. Life appeared normal for many on the surface, yet villagers stared at huge crop losses. Fields along the riverside have been washed away, leaving little to be saved, they said.
At Pipri village, shattered homes welcome a visitor. Lit up hearths could be seen in the open land a little distance away. The elderly say floods of August 28 and 29 were worse than that of 1994. Almost all homes flanking a single road up to the dead end at Pipri have been razed .
Villagers shifted to the ground at a height that was allotted by government to build homes after the floods of 1994. Not many went there then but in 2020, this was the only safe ground. Makeshift homes with just a tin roof have been made using whatever could be salvaged from old damaged houses. Power connection is borrowed from homes that are still intact.

Even in normal times, backwaters of Gosikhurd dam are just 100 to 150 metres from the village. Pipri had been acquired for the dam project with new plots also allotted by 2006. Still, a majority are clinging to their old homes.
Only a part of the farm holdings of many have been acquired for the project, which gives them another reason to stay put at the old village despite the risk.
“We got Rs4 lakh in 2006. We are four brothers, each one took his share. The money is already spent. I continued to stay at Pipri,” said Dama Wadhai as his wife made rotis on a gas stove, perhaps salvaged from their old house. “Now we will stay right here,” added his son.
Each one has occupied a plot on the government land which will be their new home,” they said. All of them said the compensation amount was spent. Premdas Pandari from the same village said he had pledged his wife’s gold ornaments to buy the tin shed.
Manohar Ghantale stood in front of his razed home at Khairi. “You can see the fridge buried down there,” he said. The family got Rs2.80 lakh for building the new home like other families but it was split between siblings leaving little for each. His family has now taken refuge in a school.
At Salebaldi, a crowd gathered around Bachu Kadu, minister of state water resources, on a visit to affected areas. Even this village was taken over for the dam project. The locals continue to stay as they haven’t got possession of plots in the rehabilitation area. “It has been nearly a decade and we are awaiting documents. Unless each one gets the possession letter, how could the plots be identified,” said an infuriated Chetan Shradhe.
A Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) officer said orders have been issued to complete the process soon.
“The locals are not staying here out of choice. The acquisition process that began in 1994 continues till 2020,” he said as others agreed.
Over six kms away, residents of Lohara want their land to be taken over also. It is not under the acquisition plan for Gosikhurd project though. Villagers here complained there was no clean drinking water after the floods. “For two days we got water from the district administration. There was help from the ordnance factory too. But now there is no supply again,” said Pradip Roy, a local.
“The dam water is too close from the village and there is always a risk. Even in normal times, the water logging leads to hassle and even diseases,” he said.
Those whose homes are intact, had their fields ravaged. A paddy growing belt, a five acre holding earned them up to Rs4 lakh as year’s earnings. The floods have taken away almost entire crop, said the villagers. “I have a seven acre farm and had invested a lakh for cultivation. There is nothing left to be harvested,” he said. “Don’t go by the greenery, the entire crop is gone. The farms are filled with silt from the river,” said Sanjay Rangari at Lohara.
“Instead of doling out a fixed amount, the government should compensate us for the loss of income,” said a villager. Not all had gone for the crop insurance here.
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