lives of over one hundred families of Chukam and adjacent villages in Ramnagar continue to be on the edge as except ‘false’ assurances, by the respective Governments, these beleaguered people have got nothing to protect themselves from the fury of Koshi river during rainy season every year.
The said Chukam village is surrounded by the Koshi river course to a large extent and there is no other way for the villagers except crossing the river to approach even a nearby market for daily needs. More so, children of these villages are still risking their lives by crossing the Koshi river flooded with rainwater nowadays to go to school daily.
In the meanwhile, keeping in view the present conditions of the villagers due to poor road connectivity, the Nainital district administration claims to have made necessary arrangements of essential commodities like ration free of cost for 124 families of Chukam and Amarpur villages in Ramnagar as these villages are cut off from rest of the region. All the essential commodities have been provided to 124 families of Chukam and Ampuar village, Nainital District Magistrate Arvind Singh Hyanki said.
More so, the District Magistrate informed, as per the directions of the Government, essential commodities will be provided in July month, free of cost to the affected families whose villages are cut off due to poor road conditions. Though the officials concerned claim to have provided immediate relief to the affected families, it seems these relief measures won’t solve their problems in the long run as the affected villagers express their concerns.
They are not satisfied with the immediate relief that the Government is providing them. The affected families are of the view that we are surrounded by the river Koshi and there is no passage to move from here. Even during rainy season we don’t have any option but to cross the river to approach the main road, said Shamser Ram, a local from the affected village. We have been urging the Governments for years at least to rehabilitate the affected families. But nothing is done except tall promises, regretted Ram.