After the floods: Infra upgrade, bridge & road repairs: Mohali limps back to normalcy

Mohali, September 20

Heavy rainfall and flooding have left parts of the district battered and bruised. Several roads, causeways and bridges have suffered considerable damage, while around 2,000 hectares of agricultural land and crop has been damaged in the past one month.

More than 7,000 residents of five villages — Karondhewala, Baghindi, Gurha, Tanda, Tandi, Kasauli and Jayanti Majri — in New Chandigarh area are facing a harrowing time as road access remains disrupted with cemented ramps on Jayati Ki Rao river washed away.

The administration has been making stop-gap arrangements but they too are being washed away time and again.

Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, who previously represented Anandpur Sahib, questioned the delay in construction of bridges on the stretch, especially when funds were provided by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development during his tenure.

Recently, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal had said, “Estimates have been sent to the officials and work is expected to begin soon.”

At present, school children have to cross the rivulet in a tractor-trailer every morning when it rains. Bikes and autorickshaws have to be pushed through knee-deep water in the rivulet. Pedestrians, including the elderly, cross the road with their footwear in hand.

“The stop-gap arrangement method has been practiced for decades. We have never asked for temporary solution as we are used to managing the situation now. All we want is a permanent all weather-bridge, good road connectivity and mobile network,” said Abhishek Sharma, a Kasauli resident.

Project in offing to bolster stormwater, sewer system

The condition of roads in urban areas is no better. After Chandigarh Tribune highlighted a CTU bus got stuck in a pothole on the National Highway, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began repair work that is expected to be completed in 20 days.

The project would also help resolve the stormwater and sewerage issues in Shivalik.City and adjoining colonies.

The DC said, “The NHAI that the Kharar Municipal Council will carry out regular de-watering operations to ensure uninterrupted progress of the work.”

The construction work of the Nijjar Chowk–Chhaju Majra road at a cost of Rs 2.09 crore is also set to begin after the laying of sewer and storm water lines.

In Zirakpur, the Baltana causeway on Sukhna Choe and Mubarikpur causeway had to be temporarily closed due to water overflow. They have suffered extensivè damage and the government now faces the task to build full-fledged bridges instead of causeways here.

The condition of the Gulabgarh-Behera road and Dera Bassi-Barwala roads, already in a shambles, have also worsened after the rain.

“The less said about the link roads the better. Roads connecting villages, state highways and national highways are in pitiable condition with some of them not repaired for past 10 years,” said a resident.

The Patiala Ki Rao also dealt heavy damages in Nayagaon on September 2. The breach has been plugged for now, but a lasting embankment will have to built here to stop the undercutting of road.After incessant rain, Ghaggar in spate left Dera Bassi area reeling with breaches in embankments at several places and agricultural land submerged in the swelling waters.

Overflowing rivers also swallowed two persons, damaged around 22 buildings and swept away two cattlehead in the Dera Bassi subdivision.

Tiwana, Khajoor Mandi, Sadhanpur, Sarseeni, Alamgir, Dangdhera, Mubarikpur, Mirpur and Bakarpur bore the full brunt of floods this year too. “Girdawari (crop loss assessment) would be conducted and due compensation would be provided by the government. The farmers have shown tremendous resilience. I urge the residents to stand in cooperation with the administration during this period,” Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa said.

The scale of destruction caused by Ghaggar extended much farther and wider.

Ghaggar has a flow of around 15,000 cusec but during this year’s rain, the peak flow crossed 70,000 cusecs on the morning of August 29, causing damage to embankments and agricultural land alongside the river in villages.

As the flow of water subsided in the first week of September, a two to 2-3 feet layer of silt remained in the fields and completely damaged standing crops and eroded the fertile top layer of soil.

“The agricultural land has been ruined with silt, borewells have been choked and motor pumps swept away. Farmers need a compensation of around Rs 70,000 per acre. What they get will be for everyone to see,” said Manpreet Singh of Amlala, adding that Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) and local residents are still doing Kar Sewa to further strengthen embankment on Ghaggar in Tiwana.

Speaking about the compensation and rebuilding process, Dera Bassi Sub-Divisional Magistrate Amit Gupta said, “A list of villages will be made where the extent of crop damage is 75 per cent and above. Beginning September 13, the patwaris will complete girdawari in one week after which kanungo and tehsildar will verify it. The assesment of damage to houses by the Public Works Department began on September 15. The draft report will be made public for one week, inviting objections from public after which tehsildar will finalise the report and submit it to the Deputy Commissioner. All assessment reports have to be submitted within 14 days.”

Punjab govt mulls building dam to channel Swan’s water

Ropar: After the devastating floods in Punjab this year, the state government has started preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for taming the Swan river in the district.

Sources privy to the matter said the drainage department has started planning a project to channelise the river stretch in the district and look for a possibility of constructing a dam.

Swan, which was once called the sorrow of Una district in Himachal, has now turned into sorrow of Ropar. The Himachal government has channelised the entire stretch of the river in its territory saving its territory from floods. However, the floodwater that once spread in various wetlands of Una now spreads in Ropar. It also impacts that areas lying around Sutlej river in Ropar, Nawashehr and Ludhiana districts as. This year, during peak monsoons, the river added 90,000 cusecs water into Sutlej — which was much more than releases from Bhakra Dam.

When contacted, Executive Engineer, Drainage, Anandpur Sahib, Gurtej Singh Garcha confirmed that the department was preparing a project to channelise Swan.

Education and Public Relations Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who represents the Anandpur Sahib in the state assembly, confirmed the development while talking to The Tribune. He said the drainage department has been directed to prepare a DPR.

“The channelisation of Swan river would reclaim vast tracks of land for the farmers of Ropar district and prevent flooding by river in the area. The officials of the drainage department have also been asked to look for a possibility of making a dam on the river. If a dam is constructed on the river, we can hold flood waters of river during monsoons which would prevent floods in downstream areas of Sutlej,” he said.

Bains said that once the DPR was ready, the department would seek funding for the project from the Union ministry for water resources.

Swan has its origins in Dhaulatpur area of Una district in Himachal Pradesh. The entire near-70 km stretch of river in Una and its 600 tributaries have been channelised by the Himachal government. The river enters Ropar in Nangal sub-division of the district and travels around 40 km before merging with Sutlej near Anandpur Sahib.

Sources said tje British had initially proposed a dam on Swan to control flooding in Punjab plains.

Surveys and project reports for a dam on the river were initiated after Independence. However, due to financial constraints and the urgent need for the Bhakra-Nangal Project, the dam on Swan never materialised.

This year’s floods have reignited the debate on the urgency of managing these tributaries, which remain unregulated and continue to pose a major flood threat to districts like Ropar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

Experts and locals have urged policymakers to revisit the long-pending plans for dams on Swan and Sirsa rivers to avoid future flooding and safeguard lives and livelihoods in Punjab’s low-lying regions.