Excelsior Correspondent
PULWAMA, Dec 9: Today’s voting has renewed hopes of flood victims in Pulwama Assembly segment where people said that the next Government will rehabilitate and compensate them.
The massive September floods that hit Kashmir left the villages of Gulzarpora, Beighpora, Bona Puchal, Gulbugh, Malangpora, Gulbugh, Hanjipora in Pulwama constituency devastated.
Out of the 350 villages in Pulwama district, 145 were affected by the floods and 88 were submerged by the ravaging flood waters. As per the official estimates 4,164 houses were completely damaged and 15,353 suffered partial damage.
Hundreds of the families putting up in these houses have been left homeless due to the floods. People are either living under open sky or share space with their relatives and neighbours.
While some of the eligible voters in these villages said they had turned out to vote against those politicians who had abandoned them during floods, and some had decided to stay away from ballot.
Shabir Ahmad Wani, 37, said that he would not vote as after floods no representative came to visit him or compensate his losses.
“Why should I vote when neither the PDP MLA nor the NC leader came to visit me? I still put up with my neighbour,” Wani of Gulzarpora village said.
Gulzpora was worst hit by the floods. Of the 300 residential houses, 250 were damaged, and 85 razed to the ground on September 6 when ravaging waters from Rambi Ara stream struck the village.
Rayees Ahmad Wani, 23, said that his house was completely damaged in floods and it was silly of his family to think of voting.
“Our family saw no help from the representatives of our constituency. One was an MLA and another was an MP but both ignored us during and after floods,” Rayees said.
In the neighbouring village Beighpora at least 100 houses were damaged due to floods.
A voter who did not reveal his name, and voted at Tokna Ghat-D polling station of the constituency said the sitting MLA had abandoned them during the massive floods that hit Kashmir valley in the first week of September.
“My house and agricultural land were hit by floods. The MLA did nothing to help us even months after floods,” he said.
In Rishipora polling station, Muhammad Yasin said he was voting to change the MLA who had failed them during floods.
However, voters in other villages like Puchal, Gulbagh, said they voted with a hope that the new Government will provide them sufficient compensation and relief so they could rebuild their houses to live life afresh.
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