Villagers blame lack of timely action by govt for floods

Just two months ago, farmers in several villages were demanding canal water for irrigation as their fields needed flooding for paddy crop. With no proper supply, they were forced to depend on tube-wells to save their crops. Ironically, the same villages are now submerged in floodwater, leaving residents angry and frustrated.

Floods have damaged houses, washed away crops and livestock, displaced thousands of families. Residents of the affected villages have strongly criticised the government for its failure to maintain the canal irrigation system.

They argue that the deteriorating condition of canals not only forced them into water scarcity earlier but has also worsened the impact of the present floods. “If water is used when it is required for irrigation, it would make more space in dam reservoirs to hold rainwater,” reasoned a farmer.

Villagers say that if the canals had been properly managed, both crises could have been avoided. “First, we had no water to save our crops, and now the same water has drowned everything we had. This is not a natural disaster alone. It is negligence,” said a farmer whose fields are now under several feet of water.

People are also questioning why the government did not take timely action to strengthen embankments, repair broken canal gates, and clear silt deposits. They complain that warnings of heavy rainfall were issued well in advance, yet no preventive steps were taken to control the flow of water.

Meanwhile, Kul Hind Kisan Sabha has demanded a high-level inquiry into the collapse of three floodgates at the Madhopur headworks on the Ravi river, along with the tragic death of three employees. The Sabha stated that the incident has raised serious questions about the management of the dam.

In a statement issued to the press, state president Baldev Singh Nihalgarh, working president Mahabir Singh Gill, general secretary Balkaran Singh Brar, joint secretary Lakhbir Singh Nizampur, press secretary Balkar Singh Valtoha, and other leaders alleged that the floodgates at Madhopur were jammed for a long time and had never been operated even for trial.

They stated that reports of 8–10 feet of silt deposits suggest that such blockages could not have formed suddenly but must have built up gradually over the years. This raises suspicion of serious negligence on the part of the authorities. The Sabha has demanded that a judicial inquiry be ordered into the incident to establish whether negligence was involved or whether the gates collapsed under unavoidable emergency conditions.