Disaster-affected traders who were plying their business from rented shops have threatened to go on fast unto death if the authorities do not compensate them for the losses suffered during the June 2013 disaster. Such traders have been protesting in the Tehsil compound for six days in support of their demand for compensation.
About 226 shopkeepers who were plying their business from rented shops in Atalkoti, Khwan, Govindghat and lambagad among other areas have been making repeated visits to the Tehsil since the disaster in June 2013 seeking compensation for the loss sustained by them.
However, they have not been able to procure the compensation from the authorities. Traders Virendra Singh and Sukha Singh from Punjab said that during the disaster, all of their goods were carried away in the Alaknanda river.
After the disaster they tried resuming their business but with the number of pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham Yatra dwindling to a trickle, the duo was unable to earn enough to save for their travel fare to home, averred the Singhs, while adding that now their families are struggling to survive.
Tejendra Chauhan and Raghuvir Singh Chauhan from lambagad said that during the disaster their goods worth lakhs of rupees and their shops were lost to the Alaknanda.
Deepak Rawat and Rohit Parmar from Khwan said that traders had sustained losses amounting to lakhs of rupees due to the flood in lakshman Ganga during the disaster. All the traders said that they had been making rounds of the Tehsil for about 16 months now. The sub divisional magistrate AK Nautiyal said that such traders will soon be provided compensation.