20151115 India Kotla fire leaves 100 families in cold
India Nov 15 2015 “Houses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : more than 70 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Kotla fire leaves 100 families in cold
Updated: 2015-11-17-09:50
The fire that engulfed almost the entire Kotla village of Kullu on Sunday evening has left 100 families homeless. A total of 72 houses were reduced to ashes and few partially damaged. A house had caught fire at about 4:45pm and it spread to other houses. Three temples were destroyed too in the incident.
With the night temperature falling to about 5属C, about 500 people are worried for their shelter. Most families had run for their lives not getting time to save anything else. On Monday, people searched for their household articles in the debris.
District police and jawans of home guards, sashastra seema bal (SSB) and fire brigade carried out the relief work in the village. Temporary tents were erected for the families and langar (community kitchen) was arranged for villagers. Politicians too made a beeline to Kotla on Monday.
Kullu deputy commissioner Rakesh Kanwar said each affected families have been given ration for one month and a community kitchen was started for at least the next five days. “Medical teams have arrived in the village. Each affected family has been given Rs 30,000 as immediate relief. Tin structures are being raised for the homeless families,” he said.
Meanwhile, local MP Ram Swaroop Sharma issued Rs 10 lakh for the villagers. “Local authorities have been asked to provide all possible help. I shall request both state and Union governments to help people in building their new houses.”
Ayurveda and cooperative minister Karan Singh, who is MLA from Banjar constituency, said the fire has damaged property worth Rs 25 crore and 1,800 steel sheets have been arranged to raise temporary structures. “Banjar villages are prone to fire. Government shall build huge water tanks in each village of Banjar sub-division. A 2km-long new road will connect the village and existing road is being repaired with the help of three JCB machines.”
‘Good road could have saved many houses’
Kotla: According to villagers, many houses could have been saved if fire tenders could reach the village on time. They claimed that the existing road is narrow and is in a dilapidated condition.
“Our efforts to douse fire with water buckets were of no help. If road was good enough to accommodate fire tenders, firemen could have saved at least few houses,” a resident Tek Singh said.
Another resident Bhupender Mahant said they have lost everything and now people are looking to the government for help. “It was a historical village. People do not have much option to earn money.”Most men were out of village with deity
Kotla: The village deity Bada Chhamahu, one of the prominent deities of Kullu, was on tour of the valley and most men of the village took part in its procession on Sunday when the fire broke out in Kotla village. Fortunately, the palanquin of the deity was outside the village, but its jewellery and other articles worth crores of rupees could not be saved.Rs 1.5 cr for affected families
Kotla: Himachal Pradesh government on Monday released Rs 1.5 crore as an immediate relief to the affected families of Kotla village. Kullu deputy commissioner Rakesh Kanwar said 300 jackets, 150 sweaters, 300 pair of shoes, emergency lights, plastic water tanks, pipes, 10 quintal rice, five quintal flour, pulses, oil and vegetables would be distributed among affected families in Kotla. Meanwhile, Rotary club Kullu donated Rs one lakh for Kotla village.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/Kotla-fire-leaves-100-families-in-cold/articleshow/49812033.cms