Rain water enters Muktsar villages, locals blame admn

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 18

The recent rain has caused damage to paddy and cotton crops and green fodder in the district. Some people from Model Town area and Udekaran village have moved to safer locations.

“Every year during the rains, we face a harrowing time but the successive state governments have not found any permanent solution of rainwater drainage. Farmers of neighbouring Thandewala and Kotli Dewan villages release rainwater from their fields to our village, which is in a low-lying area,” said a villager.

Similarly, some residents of Haraj village, said their village was the worst-hit in 2013 as the road link was snapped and they had remained isolated for days. Still there are no arrangements for dewatering, they said. Charanjit Singh of Sakkanwali village said, “Villages like Jammuana, Jandoke and Lubanianwali are the worst-affected areas.”

Meanwhile, a 20-ft-wide breach has developed in a drain at Bura Gujjar village. The district administration claimed that its priority was to first drain out water from residential areas.

MK Aravind Kumar, DC, Muktsar, said, “We have deputed one nodal officer for every 10 villages. The state has given Rs 20 lakh for flood control works. The rural development department has been told to drain out water from ponds. Some people have been given shelter and free food.” Meanwhile, when an official team visited Udekaran village, it had to face the ire of some residents. Dalbir Singh, Superintending Engineer, Drainage Wing of Irrigation Department, Gidderbaha, said, “In our area, 90 per cent cleaning work of drains was completed within time.”