Pratapgarh villagers threaten migration over 25-year waterlogging crisis

Residents of Lauli Pukhta Kham village in the Patti tehsil area of Pratapgarh have warned that they may leave the village and migrate if the long-running waterlogging problem is not resolved. According to the villagers, the problem has continued for the past 20-25 years, and during the rainy season nearly 40 to 50 families are forced to live surrounded by water for about four months.

The villagers say the situation becomes so severe every year that, at times, the village’s contact with outside areas is cut off. They allege that the drain has not been cleaned properly for years and that there is no effective arrangement for water drainage. Because no permanent solution has been found despite repeated complaints, anger among the residents has now grown, and they have warned of leaving the village.

According to the villagers, there are three main reasons behind the waterlogging. During the rains, the pond overflows and the water starts flowing towards the village. Additional water coming out of the siphon also reaches the settlement. At the same time, because the drain has not been cleaned for years, the water is unable to move ahead and remains collected in and around the inhabited area.

Village resident Ramlal Pal said that for nearly 25 years, the same problem has returned every year for about four months. He said that to send children to school, people have to make them sit on their shoulders and carry them across the water. If someone falls ill, the person has to be laid on a cot and taken towards the hospital with the support of shoulders.

The villagers said that even for everyday items, they have to walk through water for about 150 to 200 metres. In several places, the water reaches up to the waist. People returning with essential goods have to carry the items on their heads while crossing the waterlogged stretch.

The continuous waterlogging has also increased the mosquito menace in the village. Residents say that living amid dirty water has also created a risk of cattle falling ill. Children, elderly people and those who are already unwell face the most hardship because of the waterlogging.

Ramlal Pal claimed that he lodges a complaint every month on the Chief Minister helpline 1076. Apart from this, he said, complaint letters have been submitted several times to the gram pradhan, BDO, irrigation department, SDM and district magistrate. However, according to the villagers, a permanent solution to the problem has still not been provided.

The residents have demanded immediate deep cleaning of the drain. They have also asked the administration to control the water coming from the canal siphon and to build a permanent drainage system in the village. The villagers say that if concrete action is not taken soon, they will be forced to leave the village and migrate elsewhere.

For the 40 to 50 families affected each year, the rainy season brings not just inconvenience but a complete disruption of daily life. Their complaints centre on the same basic issues: overflowing water from the pond, water reaching the settlement through the siphon, and the blocked drain preventing proper outflow. They say that unless these three issues are addressed together, the village will continue to face the same waterlogging every year.