Canal breach in Punjab poses threat in Kangra

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, March 19

The water being released by the Shahnehar barrage authorities at Talwara in Punjab for the past two days without intimation to the Himachal Pradesh administration has posed a threat to the safety of residents and their livestock in mand areas of Fatehpur and Indora subdivisions in Kangra district.

As per information, the Shahnehar canal breached at certain points from the barrage (52 gate) to the Mukerian hydel power project and the Punjab IPH Department, which controls this canal, released water into the Beas river. The repair work will likely be completed by April-end.

The Beas river water flooded mand areas where fields with standing wheat crop were submerged. As many as 10 houses of Gujjars at Bahadpur are under threat. Their paths and approach roads were submerged yesterday. A bridge on the mand-Bahadpur link road also got partially damaged. Fatehpur SDM Balwan Chand, who rushed to the spot last evening, told The Tribune that the traffic movement on the bridge had been stopped.

Lower kangra areas flooded

• The Shahnehar canal breached at certain points and the Punjab IPH Department, which controls it, released water into the Beas.
• The river water, in turn, flooded mand areas in lower Kangra, where fields with standing wheat crop were inundated
• Some houses at Bahadpur are under threat as their approach roads have got submerged. A bridge on the Mand-Bahadpur link road also got partially damaged

He said after taking the issue of flood menace in the mand area, the Shahnehar barrage authorities had reduced canal water dischare to 6,000 cusecs last evening. He said in the past too, the authorities had released canal water without any intimation in October last year and January this year.