Yamunanagar fields flooded after breach in Dadupur-Nalvi Canal

A breach in the Dadupur-Nalvi Canal near Bhukhari village in Yamunanagar district today led to the flooding of agricultural fields, following heavy rainfall of about 65 mm in the region.

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Authorities from the Irrigation and Water Resources Department immediately began repair work, which is being carried out on a war footing to prevent further damage.

“Yamunanagar district witnessed heavy rain today. The canal has been lying closed for the past several years, therefore its banks have turned weak at several places. An about 40-foot-wide breach took place in the western bank of the canal near Bhukhari village of the district today,” said Ravinder Panwar, SDO, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Yamunanagar. He said repair operations were initiated as soon as the breach was reported.

The breach has occurred in a canal that has remained non-operational since 2018, when the state government de-notified the acquired land for the Dadupur-Nalvi Irrigation Scheme, declaring it unviable. However, during monsoons, rainwater from surrounding agricultural land continues to flow into the canal, often putting pressure on its neglected and weakened banks.

“The agricultural fields where plantation has already been done may suffer damage due to the huge water of the canal. The water will also cause loss to sugarcane crop, green fodder and vegetables,” said a local farmer, concerned about the rising water levels.

Paddy plantation work was underway in the region when the breach occurred, increasing the risk of crop loss.

The Dadupur-Nalvi Canal, which stretches from Dadupur village in Yamunanagar to Nalvi village in Ambala, last saw regular water flow between 2009 and 2017, supplied from the Western Yamuna Canal via the Dadupur Head.

Following the non-completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal in 2004, the Dadupur-Nalvi scheme was utilised during the kharif season to provide irrigation and recharge the groundwater table.

In a related development, water levels in the Somb river and other seasonal rivulets also surged today, causing submergence of nearby agricultural fields in low-lying areas.