Paddy fields submerged in Amritsar, farmers a worried lot

Recent showers have left residents of Ajnala subdivision worried. With hundreds of acres of paddy along the Ravi submerged, fear of floods has now gripped farmers.

Amid the growing anxiety, the district administration has assured residents that there won’t be any floods and that the overall situation was in control.

To review flood preparedness, Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh visited vulnerable areas along the Ravi and the Sakki Nullah.

He, along with officials of the district administration, the drainage department and the Punjab Mandi Board, inspected the ongoing construction of flood protection spurs at the BSF Border Out Posts (BOPs) at Dharam Prakash and Shahpur.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the officials to complete the work on a war-footing. Reviewing the water situation, he said the Ravi was flowing well within its banks and that there was no immediate threat of flooding in the district.

He explained that heavy rainfall in the hilly regions of Jammu had increased the inflow into the Ravi through the Ujh river, causing a temporary rise in the water level. He, however, said the water level had since stabilised.

He also stated that the water levels in the Sakki Nullah and the Beas were well within the safe limits.

The DC instructed the Punjab Mandi Board to ensure immediate cleaning of culverts along the rural link roads to facilitate smooth drainage of rainwater.

Officials of the drainage department were directed to keep drains free of obstruction and maintain continuous monitoring.

Reassuring residents, Dalwinderjit Singh said the district administration was closely monitoring the situation, adding that the officials were in touch with the authorities of the Ranjit Sagar Dam and the Ujh river barrage. He added that all departments were fully prepared to deal with any emergency.