Flood situation worsens in 60 villages of Tarn Taran district

Tarn Taran, July 25

The flood situation in the border district became critical on Tuesday as the water level increased in the Beas and Sutlej rivers.

At least 60,000 acres of crops in 60 villages — from Bhalojla to Muthianwala, the last village on the Indo-Pak border — are under threat.

Waiting for medicines, items of daily use

People in the flood-affected areas are waiting for medicines, fodder for their animals and other items of daily need. There has been no respite from the floods in our village. Residents, Chamba Kalan village

Sources in the Irrigation Department said the flow of water downstream from the confluence of the Beas and the Sutlej rivers at the Harike headworks was 98,000 cusecs. A few days ago, the downstream flow of water had reduced to 45,000 cusecs.

Students’ attendance in schools of the flood-affected areas has also gone down considerably. Gurbachan Singh, Deputy District Education Officer (Secondary), said reports of a fall in the students’ attendance were being received from schools in the flood-affected areas.

Deputy Commissioner Baldeep Kaur said the administration had sounded a ‘high alert’ and taken all precautionary measures to prevent the loss of lives. She said three junior engineers (JEs) had been deputed at Harike headworks to keep a round-the-clock watch on the flow of water in the two rivers.

She said on the instructions of the state government, SDMs and other officials had been asked to conduct special ‘girdawari’ to assess the loss to farmers and other people due to floods. The DC has ordered officials to submit their reports within a week.

The situation in the Kasur drain, which witnessed breaches at several places during the last few days, is still worrisome. These breaches were yet to be plugged, said Pargat Singh, Balbir Singh and other residents of Jhamka village.

They said though the water level in the Kasur drain had fallen, its banks were yet to be strengthened.

Residents of Chamba Kalan village said people in the flood-affected areas were waiting for medicines, fodder for their animals and other items of daily need.

Baba Angrej Singh, head sewadar of Gurdwara Guptsar Sahib, Muthianwala, which had been helping residents of the flood-affected areas, said the situation had worsened due to the increase in the water level. He said floods had created panic among farmers as they would face unbearable losses.

Meanwhile, the DC said there were reports of shortage of vegetables as the crops had been destroyed by the floods.

She said fodder and food packets were distributed among residents on Tuesday. One house collapsed at Kallha village on Tuesday. Deepak Bhatia, SDM, Khadoor Sahib, visited the village to assess the losses suffered by the residents.