Flood-Ravaged Pargwal Villagers Search for Memory, Not Just Belongings

Pargwal (Jammu), Sept 5, 2025 — After the Chenab river burst its banks and engulfed Pargwal, a border hamlet near Akhnoor, villagers trudged barefoot through thick mud and rubble, salvaging not possessions—but memories. Homes, fields, shops, livestock and granaries were submerged under muddy silt, obliterating lives and livelihoods.

Over 3,000 Evacuated Amid Widespread Damage

Floodwaters remained for nearly two days up to the first floors of homes, prompting rescue teams to evacuate over 3,000 residents. The once fertile paddy fields now lie buried under a suffocating blanket of wet silt, as broken walls and half-buried structures point to the catastrophe endured.

Stories of Loss & Resilience

Subash Chander cried as he pulled out a locked, mud-caked almirah—his wedding gift—from the flood debris half a kilometre away from his home: “I thought I’ve lost it forever. This is not just furniture—it’s memory.”

Sixty-two-year-old Puran Chand, standing amid the ruins of his home, lamented, “Where do we go now? Everything’s gone. I’ve never seen such water in my life.” Their life’s savings—and five years of effort to build a home—washed away in minutes.

Grief Across Families & Households

For Sharda Devi, floodwaters rose up to her neck as she pulled her family out; their animals drowned. “Even our fields are under mud,” she said, grief-stricken.

Teacher Omkar Singh recalled how the connecting road vanished and the village became cut off. A displaced farmer Rattan Singh stared at his ruined land, stating, “This is not just about houses—it’s about survival.”

Every Utensil, Every Memory Saved Counts

Recovered items—an almirah, a pot, a piece of clothing—aren’t just belongings but fragments of identity and dignity. For Pargwal, the flood may have receded, but the emotional and economic clean-up has just begun.

Source: PTI via Daily Excelsior (Read Original)

Labels: Pargwal, Flood Devastation, Chenab, Evacuation, Border Village

Tags: #Pargwal #Floods #JammuFloods #Chenab #PTI

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