Nottinghamshire Family Refuses to Let Flood Spoil Diwali Celebrations

A family from Nottinghamshire, upon returning from vacation, discovered their residence had been “devastated” by floodwaters. Despite this, they were resolute in their decision to celebrate Diwali as planned. Jagdish Gohil returned to his Edwalton home to find that a burst pipe had inundated the ground floor. Since the incident in August, his family has been residing on the upper floor while repairs are underway. Mr. Gohil, aged 58, stated his intention to go “above and beyond” in decorating their house for Diwali, unwilling to allow the flood to diminish their festivities. He has adorned his residence with hundreds of lights in anticipation of a weekend party with neighbours. Mr. Gohil, who has resided in the house for two decades, described the situation: “It was devastating,” he said. “When we came home we opened the front door and noticed all this water pouring out.“The water was ankle deep because the water was running for so long. The first thing on my mind was what are we going to do and where were we going to stay.“We’ve lost a lot of stuff that’s completely irreplaceable. The whole thing was catastrophic.” Nevertheless, the semi-retired landlord expressed his resolve that the festival of light celebrations would surpass all previous years in scale and quality. According to him, the act of decorating the house had brought an “amazing difference” to the family’s mental well-being following several “stressful” months. His son, Jaimi Gohil, contributed to the clean-up efforts and aided his father in setting up the outdoor lights at their residence. The 26-year-old commented: “It’s a light at the end of the tunnel; something for us to celebrate. “If you’ve had a really bad month it’s nice to do something with a smile on your face, rather than talking about what’s next to do with the house.” Mr. Gohil, who successfully claimed the cost of the damage through his house insurance, stated his expectation that the restoration work on the house would be finished by the close of November. He further added: “[Diwali] has made an amazing different because it allows us to look at what we’ve been through and what we can look forward to.“These lights have brought us relief in a dark time.” For updates, follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.