16 houses reduced to ashes as fire brigade couldn’t reach village
Munish Sood
Jhniyar (Kullu):
India may have completed 78 years of Independence, but in the steep hills of Himachal Pradesh, several villages still wait for freedom from their most basic challenge — the absence of a road.
Jhniyar, Banjar sub division of kullu district, stands today as a tragic reminder of what this neglect can cost.
On November 10, Jhniyar witnessed a disaster so fierce that an entire community was wiped out in a matter of hours. A massive fire engulfed all 16 houses, turning the entire village into a stretch of ash, debris and broken memories.
The homes, constructed in the traditional Kathkuni style using timber and mud, caught fire so quickly that residents barely escaped with the clothes they were wearing. By the time the flames settled, nothing remained except charred beams, stones and the ruins of what were once family homes.
Initial discussions with residents point towards the dry grass stored beneath the houses, which doubles as fodder for cattle, as the most probable cause of the blaze. The combination of timber structures and stored fodder leaves these homes dangerously vulnerable, a risk villagers have lived with for generations.
No road, no rescue: When help cannot reach
The tragedy did not end with the flames. What made the disaster catastrophic was that no emergency vehicle could reach the village. Because Jhniyar has no road at all.
Families walk miles up and down steep, uneven terrain to reach their homes. In moments of crisis, this isolation becomes life-threatening. Fire tenders, medical teams, relief vehicles — none could reach on time. Even after the incident, transporting relief material required people to carry supplies manually along narrow mountain paths.
Villagers ask a simple but painful question: “If help wants to reach us, how will it?”
For decades, election speeches have promised roads, progress and improved living conditions. Governments claim that every Himachali village is now connected. But Jhniyar tells a completely different story.
The lack of a road has forced residents to continue living in fragile wooden homes that were suitable centuries ago — not in 2025. Had the village been connected safer, concrete houses may have existed; emergency services could have responded quickly; the fire might have been contained and 16 families might not have lost everything they owned.
Villagers left with questions, not houses
Today, families sit where their homes once stood, surrounded by ashes and uncertainty. The trauma is not just of losing property but of realising that even relief cannot reach them easily, simply because a basic road was never built.
“Dry grass and timber under the living space — danger is always hanging over our heads,” a villager said. “But what choice do we have?”
MLA Surinder Shourie promises action
When contacted, local MLA Surinder Shourie acknowledged that Jhniyar has suffered long-standing neglect. He said connecting the village with a motorable road is now among his top priorities, and he will push for a dedicated provision in the upcoming state budget.
Shourie also added that the existing long-span electricity line will be upgraded and fully connected to ensure safe and reliable power supply for residents.
Jhniyar is not an exception but a mirror reflecting what happens when villages remain cut off, unplanned, and unattended, despite repeated political promises.
