Flood fury: Fatehabad roads in tatters, admn faces uphill task of repair, rebuilding

Deepender Deswal

Fatehabad, July 24

As floodwaters have started receding in Fatehabad and Sirsa districts, the district administration faces an uphill task of repairing and rebuilding various houses, buildings and structures since the calamity has left behind a trail of destruction in the region.

The farmers are the worst-hit as crops, houses in dhanis and livestock are badly affected due to the floodwaters. Road infrastructure and other facilities, including government schools, veterinary clinics and government hospitals, have also been affected in the region. The transport services and health services remained suspended for many days as the administration is now trying to restore the services in areas where the water has receded in Fatehabad’s Jakhal and Tohana blocks.

According to the district administration, 127 villages in Fatehabad district, including 52 villages in Ratia block, 23 in Fatehabad block, besides villages in Jakhal, Bhattu Kalan, Kulan blocks are affected due to the floodwaters. The sources said 2,370 houses located in the dhanis in the district were partially damaged, while nearly 30 roads, mostly approach roads connecting villages, had been washed away due to the impact of the floodwaters.

Jagjit Sing, a resident of Narel village in the Jakhal block of Fatehabad, said the floodwaters had completely washed away the paddy, sugarcane and other kharif crops. He said the road from Jakhal to Ratia was broken as a patch caved in from near Jakhal village. The road connecting Narel village to Udaypur village was also badly damaged. “Though we have demanded that the administration should start the repair of the roads, it will take some time as the floodwater is still in the fields,” he said.

The administration officials said about 680 persons were evacuated from dhanis and 1,029 persons were living in 32 relief camps in the district. The preliminary report of the district administration revealed that 41,940 hectare fields are waterlogged in the district, where the kharif crops had suffered huge losses.

Floodwaters flowing to Fatehabad district from the Punjab side and other places in Haryana, after breaches in the Ghaggar, have caused floods in the district. As the floodwaters got diverted towards Sirsa district, these started receding. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda had visited Fatehabad district yesterday, while ministers, including Development and Panchayat minister Devender Babli and former state BJP president Subhash Barala, have been visiting the area.

Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Kaur visited villages, including Khan Mohammad and Hijarwan Kalan, and met people living in relief camps. She said the flood was under control and the situation would normalise soon.