Kashmir flood victims take shelter in Ahmedabad to escape cold

Hit by severe flood last year followed by extreme cold conditions, at least 400 people from Jammu and Kashmir have been compelled to leave their native place and take refuge in a slum locality in city’s Saraspur area, till the situation improves there. 

These 60-odd families, after arriving in the city, have taken shelter at an open compound in Saraspur area where they are living in make-shift huts made of plastic sheets. The families belong to places like Badgam, Anantnag, Drass, Leh and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir. “There are many other families who have been forced to migrate during this winter. We came to Gujarat because we learnt that people here are very friendly.

 Now, we are expecting some help from them till we are here, as we don’t have money to buy anything,” said a native of Badgam. According to them, this is the first time when they have been left with no other option than to shift their base due to the nature’s fury.

“Heavy floods have swept away our homes, farmlands and our businesses. Majority of us are either farmers or craftsmen having very marginal income. Before the government could build homes for us, heavy snowfall started in the Valley, which stalled the construction,” Kargil resident Bashir Ahmed said.