Ajnala: Heavy rain adds to people’s anxiety

Incessant rainfall since early this morning has increased the worries of those living across the border belt of Ajnala, including those from villages where floodwaters have not yet reached. For people already battling the fury of the Ravi, heavy downpour has added to their uneasiness and distress.

The city witnessed nearly 40 mm of rainfall on Sunday. The National Disaster Management Authority has already warned of heavy downpour in the area during the next 24 hours.

According to official estimates, as many as 93 villages in Ajnala subdivision remained inundated after the Ravi breached its course. Nearly 23,000 hectares of standing crop, including paddy, maize, and fodder, have been devastated. The latest showers have also triggered widespread waterlogging in adjoining fields, worsening the already precarious agricultural losses.

“Even the areas spared by the river are now threatened by stagnant rainwater. If it does not stop soon, we would not be able to save what is left,” said Jaswant Singh, a farmer from a village on the outskirts of Ajnala.

The situation has put villagers in a constant state of suspense. Every passing cloud is greeted with folded hands and whispered prayers. More rainfall, they fear, could mean not only more floods in marooned villages but also fresh breaches in areas still struggling to stay dry.

Officials of the administration said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities are on alert. Relief camps continue to function in schools and community halls, providing temporary shelter and cooked meals to displaced families. However, villagers complain that the relief is too little compared to the scale of the devastation.

“The fields are gone, the cattle are sick, and the houses are half-submerged. How long can one survive on ration packets?” asked Balwinder Kaur, a resident.

With the weatherman predicting more showers in the coming days, uncertainty looms large. For the residents of Ajnala, each drop of rain now carries the weight of fresh disaster, testing both their resilience and hope.