Even the wind scares us: Kishtwar cloudburst survivors in J&K demand relocation

SRINAGAR: Fear and grief have engulfed the remote Chesoti village of Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district after August 14's devastating cloudburst triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 68 people and leaving many others missing. The villagers, whose houses were damaged and who lost their dear ones to the cloudburst, are demanding permanent relocation to a safer place. Rakesh Kumar, whose house was totally damaged in the flashflood triggered by the August 14 cloudburst at Chesoti village, said they have been living at their relatives home after being rendered homeless. When sun sets, we feel scared. We dont sleep properly as every sound, even the wind and minor downpour scares us and makes us think another cloudburst is coming, he said. Our village is very remote and far flung. We appeal to the government to relocate us all permanently from the village to any safer place so that our lives can be secured from any further calamity, Rakesh said. We have lost too much already. We just want to live without fearing for our lives. The village has lost 10 persons to the cloudburst while four others are still missing. At least 14 residential houses have been damaged in the flash flood triggered by massive cloudburst. All the dhabas set up by the locals for the Mata Machail yatris have been washed away by the flash flood and mudslide. Another Chesoti resident Bilu Kumar, who has lost his home to cloudburst and whose uncle is also missing, said the silence at night is unbearable. We are living in constant fear of another cloudburst. Even the slightest sound sends us into panic, he said. Kumar, who lives in the house of an uncle who is missing, said the government should shift the entire population of the village to a safer area. The government should provide us land at safer places and also give us compensation to build our homes, he said adding they have also apprised the administration about it. We appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, LoP Sunil Sharma and Deputy Commissioner and other officials to relocate us permanently to a safer place as we dont consider our Chesoti village safe anymore, he said. The trauma of the cloudburst has left deep psychological scars among the population, especially among children, women and the elderly. Akhil Shama, whose in-laws live in Chesoti village, said the villagers, especially those whose houses have been damaged and whose family members were killed or lost in cloudburst tragedy, are fearful of living in the village. The Chesoti is a far flung and remote village. It was yatra this time that made the government launch an immediate rescue and relief operation. If another tragedy hits the village in winter, then there can be more fatalities and it would take a lot of time for the rescue teams to reach the remote village. It is better to relocate the entire population of the village, he said. There are about 60-70 houses in the village and shifting them to safer places to safeguard their lives wont cost much to the state exchequer, added Sharma. Meanwhile, the relief and rescue operation in the cloudburst hit village continued for the 9th day today with personnel of army, NDRF, SDRF, police, BRO and NGO engaged in the rescue operation. No bodies have been retrieved in the last few days, an NDRF official said. He said 68 bodies have been recovered so far. Besides, body parts of some more bodies have been recovered. The NDRF official said 36 people are still missing and rescue teams have expanded their search in the stream from Chesoti to Gulabgarh, about 22 kms from the spot.