Fertile land turns barren as Beas wreaks havoc in Himachal's Mand area

The recent monsoon deluge and excess water released by the BBMB from the Pong Dam has not only disrupted normal life, but has also wreaked havoc on fertile agrarian land in the low-lying mand area of Indora subdivision in lower Kangra district.

While hundreds of kanals of fertile land has become useless, paddy crop has been ruined in last month’s deluge. Not just the land, but rural infrastructure, too, has suffered extensive damage. The fields that were looking green with abundant paddy crop before the monsoon deluge, are now either filled with stones, sand and slush or are inundated with Beas waters.

Local residents said flashfloods in five tributaries of the Beas from Ghandran to Jakhbad in the mand area brought along stones and gravel, raising the Beas riverbed and effecting a change in the course of the river. Fields downstream have been water-logged, ruining paddy crops and turning their lush green fields into barren land.

The worst-affected mand area villages are Ghagwan, Surdwan, Mizlibandh, Mand-Ghandrah, Sanour, Bhatolli and Halya, where hundreds of kanals of agrarian land has been adversely affected. Around 10 solar power systems installed for lifting water from borewells for irrigation have been damaged. Small tanks and pipeline network installed by the Jal Shakti Department have suffered damage. A number of electricity poles, along with power supply lines, were uprooted by flashfloods at Ghaghwan and Surdwan villages.

The departments concerned are facing a tough time in restoring irrigation and electricity supply lines in the affected area.

Jaswinder Singh and his brother Kulwinder Singh, residents of Ghagwan village, have lost 100 and 160 kanals agrarian land, respectively. They had standing paddy crops on the land which is still under water.

Talking to The Tribune, the duo lamented that reclaiming the damaged land was a biggest challenge before them. “The floods have not only snatched our bumper paddy crop, but also damaged electric motors installed for lifting water for irrigation,” they lamented.

Vandna Devi of Ghaghwan village has lost 20 kanals of her farm house, which she had developed a few months ago. Sachin Katoch, another resident of the same village, has lost his 16 kanals of fertile land to flashfloods last month. Jatinder Sharma, a farmer of Ghandran village, has lost his 100 kanal agrarian land.

Flood-affected farmers of Sanour, Halya, Bhatolli and Ghandrah villages have appealed to the state government to restore electricity and irrigation facilities in their area. They have also demanded steps to protect their remaining lands from any eventuality in next monsoon season.