Flood fear looms along Tangri, Irrigation Dept takes stock of preparedness

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, July 9

The residents of colonies located on the Tangri riverbed in Ambala cantonment are living with the constant fear of losing their belongings and houses to the monsoon.

last year was a disaster

Advertisement

I have been living here for 40 years and I have seen this river swell a number of times, but what we witnessed last year was a disaster as we lost everything. My furniture got damaged and clothes were washed away with the water. With no other option, we have shifted our belongings to a safer place this year. Kamla Rani, resident of new Aman Nagar

Tangri is a seasonal river which swells when there is heavy rainfall in the Shivalik region. The residents are worried if the river floods like last year, it would damage their homes and belongings again.

Taking precautionary measures, people have started moving their belongings to safer places. During a visit to New Aman Nagar, Luxmipura Nagar, New Ajeet Nagar and other colonies situated on the riverbed, it was observed that a number of people had moved their furniture, mattresses and electronic appliances to the first floor of their houses and some had even built small boundary walls to stop water from entering their houses.

A resident, Dhanpati, who has shifted her household items on the first floor, said, “My bed, television, clothes and utensils were damaged in the floods last year. We are living under the constant fear of the river flooding our homes. The government should make some permanent arrangements to save people like us, who have no permanent source of income, from such plight.”

Teju, a daily wager, said, “Earlier, the water used to enter the streets and then recede within a few hours. A very few areas used to be affected, but last year, the water left a trail of large-scale damage in the form of ruined furniture, clothes, accumulated sludge and mud in the houses and streets. The government should ensure that the water passes smoothly without hitting the colonies this year.”

Retried principal Sushil Sharma said, “After suffering losses worth lakhs, I decided to lift the lintel of my house as there is no other option to save the house from waterlogging in case the Tangri swells again. There was around six-foot water inside the house.”

Ambala Cantonment SDM Satinder Siwach said, “Multiple meetings have been held with the departments concerned regarding flood preparedness. The Irrigation Department has been working to strengthen the embankments and to ensure that the water flows smoothly in the river. Some dharamshalas have also been identified so that people can be moved there in case of severe waterlogging.”