Women Prove Integral to Flood Relief Work; 3.8K Schools Affected

Across Panjab’s flood-hit districts, thousands of women are the unseen volunteers ferrying medicines to marooned hamlets, setting up kitchens in trolleys, and working shoulder to shoulder with men to hold the flood at bay. They are also the hygiene warriors. Harpuneet Kaur, a law student at Panjab University says, 'We formed a small team, raised everything through donations from Chandigarh and Mohali, and took relief to the Ramdas–Ajnala belt. Sanitary pads are the most basic need. Many families didn’t even have undergarments. This is causing Urinary Tract Infections. Women with severe period pain are unable to manage without hot water or home care. Because of waterlogging, fungal infections, and allergies are common.' Mansa-based kabaddi player Pittu Kotra started 'with just a bag of clothes' and was soon leading a convoy of volunteers, taking medicines by boat to homes cut off in Sultanpur Lodhi. 'We cannot give up. Panjab lives in the heart, we must come together,' she says. Actor Zainab Rajput Sai’s team distributed essential items, wading through chest-deep water without life jackets. 'Many times, boats have no diesel or drivers,' she says. ‘From the administration, even basic safety gear hasn’t reached us.' Meanwhile, data compiled by education officials shows 3,856 government schools were affected across Panjab for which USD 23M is required for repair and restoration works. Harsh Goyal, teacher at Government Primary School, Datt Road in Moga, said, 'A flood is not just a natural disaster. It leaves behind countless stories, pain and deep lasting wounds. It impacts the minds of children. When floodwater starts receding and life starts returning to normalcy, school becomes a place where children reunite. This reunion is not merely physical; it is also an opportunity to listen to stories they have withheld in their hearts. The faces of children returning to school are often marked by odd silence and sadness. As they sit on the benches, their focus is not on the book, as their minds replay horrific images of the floods.' Panjab’s society needs to extend its empathy to these children growing up with the trauma of floods.