Ghaggar submerges 7K-acre crop across 12 Sirsa villages

The Ghaggar, swollen by the heavy monsoon rainfall, has submerged nearly 7,000-acre standing crops across 12 villages in Sirsa district, local officials said on Sunday.

The affected villages include Panihari, Burj Karmgarh, Farwai Khurd, Farwai Kalan, Nejadela Kalan, Ahmedpur, Dhani Sukhchain, Kelnia, Jhorarnali, Mallewala, Saharni, and Nejadela Khurd.

While water levels slightly receded at Sardulgarh compared to Saturday, concerns remained high. Villagers from nearby areas began patching a breach in the riverbank at Panihari. At Mallewala, local social organisations’ volunteers delivered food to flood-affected residents.

In Farwai Khurd, farmers stood helplessly, watching their submerged fields.

“We planted bottle gourd, okra, and ridge gourd; now, it’s all gone,” said Mahender Singh, a smallholder farmer.

Sirsa district has long faced flood threats due to the Ghaggar. According to historic data, the river has overflowed several times — in 1976, 1981, 1993, 2004, and as recently as 2010 — causing significant damage across Haryana and Punjab.

Experts say the river is not a perennial one but a seasonal stream, swelling due to monsoon rain in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. Tributaries such as the Markanda and Tangri contribute to its flow.

The Ghaggar’s catchment area spans nearly 50,000 sq km, touching four states. Flooding risks are heightened by poor water management and weak irrigation infrastructure. Authorities say no water from dams such as the Bhakra or Pong is released into the river, and the Yamuna’s flow does not enter the system.

The Sirsa district administration has identified 49 villages across the Kalanwali, Sirsa, and Ellenabad subdivisions as sensitive to flooding. Villages such as Mattar, Ranga, Nejadela Khurd, Musahibwala, and Panihari remained on alert.

The Ottu Weir near Ottu village, built in 2002, is critical to managing floodwaters. With a capacity of 40,000 cusecs, the weir channels water toward Rajasthan. Although it has reduced flood threats in recent years, past overflows have devastated the region, such as in 1993 and 2010, when over 30,000 acres were destroyed.

The district administration claimed that full vigilance was being maintained. The Irrigation Department has deployed 24 monitoring teams, while JCB and Poklane machines are being used to reinforce embankments using sandbags.

Senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma, are overseeing the situation. By Sunday noon, the water level was recorded at 42,900 cusecs at Sardulgarh, and 27,550 cusecs downstream at Ottu Weir. Citizens have been advised to stay alert, but not panic.