Flood hit villagers in Udhampur see a ray of 'hope'

Having lost their source of livelihood to heavy rainfall that lashed Jammu and Kashmir September last, residents of several villages of the district today came out to vote with a hope that a new government would take measures to mitigate their problems.
"We have come to vote with a hope that the new government in the state would take measures to resolve the problems which the people of this rainfall hit area have suffered," said Pardeep Sharma, a resident of Udhampur's Tikri village.
Several villages of the district were badly affected due to continuous rainfall that lashed the state in September and also led to unprecedented flash floods in the Kashmir valley.

Residents of several villages in Udhampur district that suffered damages due to the continuous rainfall in the region allege bias on part of state administration in distribution of relief materials.
"There was a clear bias in terms of relief distribution, while all the attention was given to Kashmir valley, people who suffered losses in the Jammu region remained neglected and we are here to teach a lesson to those 'baised' leaders," said Santosh Kumar a resident of Mand village of Udhampur district.
The residents alleged that even though they suffered huge losses in terms of human lives, livestock and standing crop, they were neglected.

"Due to the landslides triggered by the heavy rainfall more than 40 people lost their lives in one village (Sadal) even after four months several bodies still continue to be trapped under the debris there, but the state government continued to remained unmoved," said Sanjeet Chibber a resident of Udhmapur.