Dehradun: That day of 16 September 2025 when the terrible deluge brought death and destroyed many lives with it. Even though it has been 3 months since this disaster, even today some people are left with no place to live and no work left to do. Similar is the story of Arvind. Arvind, who used to work as a daily wage labourer, saved some money and built a small house in Rajpur to provide a roof over his and his children’s heads, but that night due to the strong current, his house and all his belongings were washed away.
Seeing Sailab, the messenger of death, coming, Arvind saved the lives of his children, but now he has no roof over his head to live further. Even after two months, Arvind is forced to live in a corner of the government school with his children. One of his sons is disabled. He told that he has received a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the government, but neither will he be able to build a house with Rs 5 lakh nor will he be able to buy land. A big crisis is facing them as to where they should go with their handicapped child. All the belongings were washed away in the water, how will the train of his life get back on track, how will he start in such a situation of inflation, this worry can be seen on his face.
That day of devastation and today’s helpless life
‘Had earned money by working as a daily wage labourer, was left with no roof over his head’, these are not just a few words, but a reflection of the pain and helplessness floating in Arvind’s eyes. Arvind Panwar told that he was living here for the last 16 years. He had built a small house for his family by earning every penny from daily wage labor in this village of Rajpur. The house, which they had built to provide a roof over the heads of the children, could not withstand the strong current on the night of 16 September.
Along with the house, all the belongings also got washed away in the water. Arvind showed courage and saved the lives of his children, but now he has neither a roof nor a job to live his life. He has three children, one of whom is disabled. His wife is ill. He has been staying in school for the last 3 months. Now they have to vacate the school also, but they are not able to understand how to go?
Compensation was given, but the suffering did not reduce.
Almost three months have passed since the monsoon disaster. Even though life has started returning to normal in the city, the scene of devastation is still not over for Arvind and his family. The situation of compulsion is such that Arvind is forced to live in a corner of the government school with his children. His worry increases when he looks at his disabled son. In that small corner, living life with a handicapped child is no less than a punishment.
Arvind says that he has received a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the government, but in this era of inflation, this amount of Rs 5 lakh will neither allow him to build a house again nor will it help him in buying land, buying land here is a matter of lakhs. There is a big crisis in front of them: ‘After all, where should they go with their handicapped child?’, Arvind expressed his pain and said that all his belongings have been washed away in the water, how will his life get back on track now, how will he start in such a high inflation situation, where will he go after leaving school, this worry can be clearly seen on his face.
Insufficient to heal wounds
This story of Arvind narrates the pain of thousands of families in disaster affected areas, for whom even government help is insufficient to heal the wounds. For a daily wage laborer, starting again from scratch, when all the savings and support has been washed away, is like breaking a mountain. Arvind not only needs a house but also a strong support for the future of his disabled child and to return to a normal life.
