Raj Sadosh/Abohar/Fazilka
Punjab is grappling with its second major flood in just three years, and the damage is severe. Twelve districts, including Fazilka, have been badly hit as rising waters submerged thousands of acres of standing crops and left hundreds of families stranded without access to food, water, or shelter. Livestock, a vital source of livelihood in the region, has also been caught in the crisis, compounding the hardship for farming families.
Amid this disaster, the Youth Club Dangar Khera has stepped forward with timely relief. Over the past three days, members of the club have been making their way across the Kawa wala bridge on the Sutlej River to reach marooned villages. Their first stop was Mahatam Nagar, where they distributed 1,100 quintals of animal fodder, along with 10 bags of animal feed, 5 bags of flour, and other essential supplies. On the third day, the club organized another relief convoy, this time sending 150 quintals of animal feed to Muhar Jamsher, a village struggling to sustain its stranded livestock.
Recognizing the urgent need for food, the villagers of Dangar Khera, working hand in hand with the youth club, have begun preparing ration packets. Each packet is being carefully packed with daily essentials like flour, rice, lentils, sugar, tea, jaggery, cooking oil, biscuits, salt, black pepper, turmeric, soap, and detergent. These packets are expected to reach families in Fazilka’s worst-affected areas within the next two days.
Mainepal, president of the Youth Club Dangar Khera, along with General Secretary Ajay Kumar Yogi and media in-charge Jagdev Kiroriwal, expressed pride in the way their village has come together. “Today, we feel immense pride for our people, especially the youth who have risen to the occasion,” they said in a joint statement. “A convoy of tractors with 35 volunteers crossed the Sutlej River bridge to deliver feed for the livestock of stranded residents in Mahatam Nagar. The warmth and gratitude shown by the villagers truly touched our hearts.”
The effort has been collective, with dozens of young men volunteering their time and resources. Names such as MD Verma, Ram Kumar Sokhal, Salender, Ravi, Parveen, Surinder, Rohtash, Kuldeep, Pawan, Deepak, Subhash, Mahinder, Rajinder, Rajesh, Sandeep, Prem, Pankaj, Rajwinder, Ramesh, Ashok, Rakesh, Narender, and Ajay feature prominently among those who helped distribute supplies in the flood-affected areas. Their contribution underlines how local initiatives, rooted in community solidarity, can often bridge the gap in times of crisis.