Munish Sood
MANDI: More than 30,000 residents of 26 panchayats of Seraj-Balichowki-Gada Gushaini belt in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh have been living in isolation for the past 10 days, with no electricity, roads, water or mobile networks available since September 2.
Angry over the district administration’s “complete apathy”, the villagers on Monday submitted a memorandum to Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan demanding urgent relief.
The memorandum was led by Raju Thakur, former pradhan and committee member of Ghat panchayat, and signed by representatives, including advocate Pawan Kumar from Khauli and another social activist of the same name from Chhatri panchayat. Later, the delegation addressed a press conference in Mandi, accusing the government of abandoning its own citizens in their hour of need.
Forced to live in darkness, hunger
“Since September 2, electricity, water supply, mobile networks and roads have completely collapsed in our region. The families have no contact with children studying outside, patients and pregnant women are being carried on shoulders and palanquins, and farmers are helpless as their produce rots,” said Raju Thakur, speaking to reporters after meeting the Deputy Commissioner. He warned that the region is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster.
“Food stock is already exhausted. Within five to seven days, people will have nothing left to eat. Vegetables and apples are either spoiling or being sold at throwaway prices because roads are broken. Milk from dairy farms cannot reach markets, causing severe economic losses,” said Raju Thakur.
26 panchayats stranded, only 8 partially restored
The affected panchayats include Khuali, Thachadhar, Jufarkot, Ghat, Boong Jehal Gad, Thata, Khalwahan, Sudhrani, Khuhan, Kanda, Khani, Devdhar, Mani, Panjai, Balichowki, Som Gad, Bagi Banwas, Thachi, Basoot, Murah, Gagan, Kau, Khahari, Kholanal, Koon, Kashoud and Kuklah.
Of these, only eight panchayats have seen partial restoration of electricity and mobile signals, while the rest remain in complete darkness. Drinking water pipelines are still broken in several areas, forcing villagers to walk long distances for basic needs.
Advocate Pawan Kumar from Khuali panchayat said: “The government’s failure is shocking. No representative has visited us, no ration has been distributed, and no relief trucks have arrived. People are surviving by borrowing food from each other, but even that won’t last.”
Education, livelihoods and healthcare hit
The communication blackout has left families deeply distressed, particularly those whose children are studying outside Seraj. With no mobile signals, they have been unable to contact their children for over a week.
Farmers, meanwhile, are staring at ruin. September is peak apple season, but road blockages have cut off access to Mandi markets. Truckloads of apples are either stuck or destroyed, adding to losses. Similarly, vegetables like beans and cauliflower are not reaching markets on time, depriving farmers of fair prices.
The dairy sector has also collapsed. Villages that supplied hundreds of litres of milk daily to nearby towns are dumping milk due to broken roads. “It’s not just an economic loss, but heartbreaking for families who depend on every rupee from this work,” said another villager at the press meet.
Healthcare remains another critical concern. With roads snapped, villagers are carrying sick and pregnant women on shoulders, chairs and palanquins for kilometers before they can access ambulances.
Administration accused of ‘indifference’
Villagers expressed anger at what they called the administration’s slow and indifferent response. Despite repeated appeals, no systematic supply of ration, medicines or relief materials has reached them even after a week.
“We are not asking for favours, but demanding our right to survival. If the government does not act now, the crisis will turn catastrophic,” warned Raju Thakur.
