When the rain-swollen hills of Seraj in Mandi district came crashing down this monsoon, they took away not just homes but the very earth beneath them. Months later, the residents of Bada Panchayat are left staring at an uncertain future —homeless, landless and still waiting for a place to rebuild their shattered lives.

The state government has released the first instalment of Rs 1.30 lakh to families whose houses were completely destroyed in the disaster. But for many, this aid has brought little solace. “I have received the first instalment to rebuild my home, but I have no land left to construct it on,” says Kamal Dev, a resident of Bada Panchayat. His house and land were swept away in the deluge that turned hillsides into rivers of mud. “Without land, this money means nothing. I appeal

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