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'Our homes have been washed away, crops damaged, livestock affected, and we are extremely distressed.'
Residents of Shergarh village in Gorakhpur – Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's former constituency and stronghold – face the fury of floods every year.
Every year, they see their homes go under water, their crops ruined, their livelihoods affected. Every year, netas and babus visit their village and offer basic relief. But, there is no permanent respite.
The Quint reached out to the residents of Shergarh village – those worst-affected by the floods. The flood waters have now started to recede, villagers have started to come back to their homes. But the challenges remain.
'What Will We Eat, How Will We Manage?'
The residents told The Quint that ever since floods hit their village, they have received ration and flood relief kits just once.
"Every year, babus just come once during the floods. There is no long-term respite from the floods. We received ration just once. That lasted only ten days. No one has come to our rescue since. No more visits, no other enquiries. What will we eat?" asks a distraught villager.
His neighbour, Ramnivas, added, "You can see water everywhere, our village is fully inundated. We are forced to live on rooftops. How will we manage, how will we survive the floods?"
"Our crops are damaged, our livestock is affected. We are distressed and helpless. Boat services are active now. People in low-lying areas are now completely dependent on boats. People living in pukka houses are forced to stay on rooftops. Snakes pose a constant threat."
'Build Embankments or Relocate Us'
Shergarh is not alone. Over 300 villages in Gorakhpur district are impacted by severe floods each year. Gorakhpur DM Vijay Kiran Anand claims rescue operations are underway, and relief and rations kits have been provided to all affected villages. But the situation on the ground is grim.
Speaking to The Quint, the residents urged Chief Minister Adityanath to intervene and help with permanent solutions.
"We appeal to our chief minister to get embankments built around the village or else, help relocate us to higher grounds. Lives and livelihoods are lost every year. Please save us."
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