As the waters of the Mandakini began to recede, the residents of the Taraunha settlement faced devastation rather than relief. When floodwaters entered their homes on Saturday, families moved to upper floors or higher ground to save their lives.
When the water level dropped slightly on Sunday, returning residents were met with ruined households, collapsed walls, and mud-caked homes. More than 25 *kutcha* (mud/thatch) houses collapsed in the low-lying areas of Jagdev Das Akhada and Kyotra. Belongings stored in hundreds of homes were ruined after being soaked by the water; some lost their entire stock of flour, while others saw thousands of rupees’ worth of shop inventory destroyed. Dadu Lal and Prem Atrauliya, residents near Jagdev Das Akhada, lost not only their household belongings but also the grocery shops they ran from their homes to the floods. Recounting the ordeal, Dadu Lal said there was no time to save their goods once the water entered the house. Damaged goods and scattered mud at a hotel in Ramghat after the flood. (Jagran)
Stored grocery items were ruined by the water. Now, there isn’t even flour left to eat. Manohar Lal stated that all household belongings were destroyed; even the fodder stored for livestock was ruined after getting wet.
15 *kutcha* houses collapsed
As the floodwaters rose, several families—including those of Raju Kushwaha, Santosh Kumar, Mulchandra, and Yashwant Kushwaha—left their homes for safer locations. Upon their return, they found their *kutcha* houses had collapsed. More than 15 such houses fell near Jagdev Das Akhada. In Kyotra, too, the homes of several families, including that of Hanumant Lal Pandey, were razed. A shopkeeper cleaning their shop after the waters receded. (Jagran)
Saved lives first, now searching for belongings
The walls of the homes belonging to Badi Kushwaha, Ashok Kushwaha, and Kallu Garg also collapsed. Meanwhile, in the Kushwahapurwa area of Amanpur, the mud houses belonging to Shiv Charan Kushwaha, Pannalal Kushwaha, Suresh Kushwaha, Rambabu Kushwaha, and Kuchchi Kushwaha collapsed. Now that the floodwaters have receded, the affected families face the daunting challenge of securing shelter, food, and water, as well as rebuilding their devastated households. A crowd gathered to collect water as soon as the Jal Sansthan (Water Department) tanker arrived in the Shaheed Baba neighborhood of Taraunha.
**Power Crisis Follows the Flood**
Power supply to the Taraunha settlement was cut off around 10 AM on Saturday and was not restored for 24 hours. Amidst waterlogged homes and muddy surroundings, residents struggled even to obtain drinking water. On Sunday morning, people began cleaning their homes using water collected from public handpumps. When the Jal Sansthan tanker arrived after 10 AM, a crowd swarmed it to collect water.
**No One Came to Check on Them on Saturday**
Several residents, including Afzal Ali, Dinesh Pandey, and Ramnaresh, alleged that no representative from the administration visited the settlement to assess the situation on Saturday, even after floodwaters had inundated the area. Residents stated that they were left to fend for themselves while the water was entering their homes. It was only after 10 AM on Sunday that municipal employees and a JCB machine arrived; work began to clear mud from the roads, and water was supplied via Jal Sansthan tankers.
