Work begins to remove sand deposits from Ajnala village

The district administration on Tuesday initiated the process of removing sand deposits from the farmlands brought along by the river waters during the recent floods in Machhiwala village of Ajnala sub-division in the border area here.

The massive floods had left over 190 villages in the Ajnala and Lopoke sub-divisions submerged in water. The sludge and sand from the Ravi got settled in the fields till four to five feet high silt was deposited in the fields.

Following this, the Punjab government announced the policy of “Jis Da Khet, Us Di Rait”, under which the farmers were allowed to excavate the sand and sell it in the market.

Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Dhaliwal, who was present on the occasion, said that for this task, machinery including a JCB and tractor purchased through Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s MPLAD funds, was deployed. The sand removed from the fields was later sold to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), he added.

He said the state government’s policy would provide financial relief to farmers. He added that priority would be given to the worst-affected villages for sand removal.

Ajnala SDM Ravinder Singh said that nearly four feet of sand had accumulated in the fields of Machhiwal village. He clarified that the sand is the property of the farmers, who are free to sell it as they wish, while the administration is extending machinery support to facilitate the process.

He further said that in the coming days, with additional machinery provided by MP Vikramjit Sawhney and assistance from the NHAI and Agriculture and Water Resources departments, the operation will be intensified on a war footing to ensure that fields are cleared before wheat sowing begins.