Kullu-Manali highway washed away during the flood in Beas River in Kullu district. HT Photo
By Lobsang Wangyal
McLEOD GANJ, India, 26 September 2018
Life has been disrupted in the nothern Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir due to incessant rainfall over the past few days.
Heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides, severing over 200 road links in these states. Reports say at least 11 people have been killed and hundreds of tourists stranded in various parts of Himachal Pradesh.
The Dobhi Tibetan settlement in the worst-hit Kullu district has been badly affected by the flood as the water level of Beas River rose abnormally.
Residents at the settlement have been evacuated to safer places on Monday after the houses were submerged by the overflowing Beas.
At the time of posting this report, all the phone lines are dead and the electricity supply has been affected.
There are about 400 Tibetans living in the settlement. However at the moment most of the adults have left for their winter sweater business.
Tibet Sun has learned that people have started going back to the settlement after the evacuation, but Central Tibetan Administration is yet to reach out and to asesses the situation.
Dobhi settlement residents have always been concerned about their safety since the settlement is located right next to the river Beas, which overflows every monsoon season.
The nearby TCV School Patlikuhl was heavily flooded in 1995, causing heavy damage to the school property.
In the just concluded Tibetan parliament session, the news of Nangsi Kalon Sonam Topgyal and Choerig Kalon Karma Gelek misappropriating land allotted for retired staff quarters came up. This misappropriation or corruption is facilitated by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. So we see corruption at the top echelons of CTA; these corrupt Tibetan officials would not bother to solve the misery of common Tibetans, such as poor people suffering now in Dobhi area of Manali. Even the Chitues didn’t bother to stop the said corruption case and cooperatively allowed it to continue.
Besides, we hear that Sonam Topgyal had his family moved to Toronto long time ago, why does he need housing in Bylakuppe? This proves that he is a corrupt at the core.
Then also why does a single monk such as Karma Gelek need such a grand housing for his retirement. It is all greed and avarice. These people must resign from their posts on moral grounds and with proven corruption cases and leave the housing to poor Tibetans who had none of the privileges they enjoy.
Tibetans residing in kullu and manali areas have been begging to our Cta for Rcc barricades against the river. They have even submitted blueprints to T W o.
But our administration has no budget for it and flatly rejected their proposal.
I am pretty sure if same thing happens in our overpopulated shichak, our netas reaction will be a different one.
Sad that none of the parliamentarian even care to speak on the issue.
They aim for votes only.