Waterlogging: Monsoon nears, but projects unfinished

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 5

The projects to tackle waterlogging in the district are yet to be finished even though the rainy season has arrived. Though the government spends a large amount of money to tackle the problem every year, it continues to damage farmers’ crops and government infrastructure.

The work to clean the drains and build bridges over drains is going at a slow pace. For instance, a bridge over a drain on the Muktsar-Malout highway near Karniwala village is still under construction. Similarly, in other villages, including Kothe Surgapuri, work is yet to be finished. Farmers fear the rains may again cause massive losses to them.

“The Drainage Department has not constructed even one new drain in the district in the last two years. A number of experts have visited the district, given their recommendations, but these are yet to be followed. Every year, the drains are cleaned, but we continue to suffer huge losses,” said Harchand Singh, a farmer of Bhullar village.

Similarly, another farmer Gurbaz Singh of Lundewala village said, “The state government must speed up the ongoing works so that the drains are fully functional during the rains.”

An Executive Engineer in the Drainage Department claimed the cleaning work of the drains was going at a fast pace and nearly 80 per cent work had been completed.

When contacted, SL Sidhu, Superintending Engineer, Drainage Department, said, “We hope to complete the cleaning work of drains before its deadline on July 10. Similarly, the other ongoing works will be completed within this month.”

The farmers are also annoyed at the alleged favouritism in the distribution of compensation to those who suffered losses in rain. Recently some farmers got cheques of below Rs 100 as compensation.