Himachal: Even after 2 years of flood in Sainj, still waiting for water, only promise of water

Himachal Pradesh: Two years have passed since the July 2023 floods in Himachal’s Sainj Valley, but for residents, the trauma is still fresh and the threat all too real. The devastating rains that swept the Pin Parvati river devastated infrastructure from Shakti to Larji, washing away roads, bridges, homes and livelihoods. More than 40 shops in Sainj town alone were swept away by the river, dealing a severe blow to the local economy of 15 panchayats. In the aftermath, villagers pinned their hopes on timely protection and reconstruction. Instead, they found hastily constructed patchwork solutions—thin concrete walls that collapsed the next rain. The promise of embankments has remained confined to files and crucial stretches of the river remain vulnerable. Despite repeated warnings from residents and elders, adequate flood protection remains a distant dream.

Neuli, Ropa, Karath, Siund, Bakshal and other villages continue to bear the scars of that disaster, both physically and economically. Though people have shown remarkable resilience—rebuilding homes and reopening markets—a sense of helplessness still lingers. Compensation is yet to reach many affected people, forcing them to run around bureaucratic hoops to get what is due. Banjar BJP president Amar Singh Thakur cites NHPC as the only agency that promised substantial assistance of about Rs 11 crore for reconstruction. However, he alleges that much of the promised money never translated into actual work on the ground, an allegation that has deepened public frustration.

Senior leader Om Prakash Thakur warns of imminent danger. “Debris is still piling up on the riverbanks, and new walls built to protect the main market are also crumbling,” he said. Recent rains in the Jeeva Nallah have already damaged the circular road leading to Neuli, raising fears that the area is just a storm away from another disaster. Experts call for a robust flood-mitigation master plan: stronger embankments, reforestation on the upper slopes, and a community-managed early warning system. Without these, they warn, the Sainj Valley is living on borrowed time. As the monsoon clouds gather again, fears are growing—fear that no matter how much bravery is shown, we alone will not be able to withstand the river’s next fury.