Good monsoon forecast leaves residents along Ghaggar panicky

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3

An above-normal monsoon forecast this year has raised anxiety levels among people living along the banks of Ghaggar. Also called the ‘River of Sorrow’, the state government continues to dither on making plans to strengthen its embankments.

“Ghaggar has caused many floods in the state. The prediction of above-normal rainfall this year is giving sleepless nights to residents living along its banks. Government must prepare special project to increase its carrying capacity,” said, Gurnam Singh Charuni, state president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union.

Though no special project has been prepared for taming the river, the work to clean the river is almost done.

“We do not have any special plan to strengthen Ghaggar as yet, but have prepared a detailed plan for the cleaning of all drains, including Ghaggar. Cleaning is almost complete,” said, Anil Kumar Gupta, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department.

But, when asked why the state government had not prepared any plan for strengthening the embankments of Ghaggar, Gupta said, if need arises, they would make all required arrangements.

Ghaggar enters Haryana from Panchkula and wades through Ambala, Kaithal, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts of the state. Water is discharged from the river at Panchkula, Guhla cheeka, Khanauri, Chandpu and Ottu.

On September 12, 2008, 58,670 cusecs were discharged from Ghaggar; 63,460 cusecs from Guhla cheeka on July 07, 2010; 49,500 cusecs from Khanauri on July 10,2010; 38, 000 cusecs from Chandpur on July 11 ,2010 and 20,700 cusecs on August 13 ,2004 at Ottu.

The maximum flow of water in Yamuna was 8,06,464 cusecs on June 17, 2001; Markanda canal 59,000 cusecs on November 3, 2002; Tangri canal 47,818 cusecs on August 3, 2004.

During a meeting on January 13 this year, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had sanctioned 97.09 crores for 105 new flood prevention schemes during 2016-17. Apart from it, total 140 schemes of Rs106.05 crores are being implemented.