15-ft breach in Beas bundh threatens 35 more villages

Adding to the miseries of the villagers of Sultanpur Lodhi, a 15-foot breach occurred in a temporary bundh along the Beas this morning at Ahli Kalan village, affecting 35 more villages in the vicinity.

The 18-km bundh had been raised by villagers some years back to protect their standing crop from the river fury. They were already aware that the bundh at the site was getting weak and they had been working day and night trying to repair it, using sacks when the river waters hit the side and created a breach, which reportedly kept getting wider since morning. A breach had previously occurred in the bundh near the same site during the 2023 floods that severely affected the villages in Sultanpur Lodhi.

A video of the breach in the bundh went viral. A farmer is seen in the fields cursing the rain god for not coming to his rescue at the time when his paddy crop was getting ripened.

AAP MP Balbir Singh Seechewal said the breach could damage crops and houses in over 36,000 acres and 35 villages in the area. Already, more than 30 villages of Sultanpur Lodhi had been affected due to floods. Seechewal had told this correspondent that on Monday that he and his followers along with farmers had been trying to strengthen the weak points, but the swollen river breached the advance bundh and was now threatening the dhussi bundh.

The flood situation continues to be grim as the water level in the Beas has risen to 1.57 lakh cusecs as measured near Dhilwan. Drainage Department SDO Khushwinder said the discharge from the Harike headworks had increased to 2.26 lakh cusecs today from 1.88 lakh cusecs earlier. He said 26,000 cusecs of water had been released in the canals.

Many roof collapse cases to fore

Continuous rain for the fourth consecutive day worsened the flood situation in Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath as low-lying areas are filled with water. Some trees fell on Kapurthala-Jalandhar national highway disrupting the vehicular traffic for a few hours.

The rains have been wreaking havoc across the region. The roof of the house of a poor, aged woman fell in Ucha Dhauray due to incessant rain. On receiving information, the district administration immediately gathered details about the victim, identified as Taro. DC Amit Kumar Panchal swiftly arranged for utensils, ration supplies and other essential items to be delivered to her.

He also deputed Additional Commissioner General Vishal Vats along with Red Cross Secretary RC Birha to visit the elderly woman, and take stock of her condition. During the interaction, the officials assured Taro that her damaged roof would be repaired at the earliest.

In another tragic incident caused by heavy rainfall, the roof of a flour mill had collapsed in Kabirpur village in Sultanpur Lodhi on Monday morning, trapping an elderly woman and her son under the debris. The victims, identified as Parkash Kaur and her son Harmel Singh, were rescued. Parkash Kaur sustained injuries, including a leg fracture, and was rushed to the hospital. Her son, Harmel Singh, received minor injuries.

DC inspects dhussi bundh

In view of the rising water level in the Beas in Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath, DC Panchal conducted an inspection of the dhussi bundh and advanced embankments on Tuesday to assess the situation.

Panchal visited key sites at Kamewal and Baghuwal, where the Drainage Department is reinforcing the embankments. He reassured the public, stating, “The dhussi embankment is safe, and our teams are maintaining strict vigilance through continuous patrolling to ensure their stability.”

Executive Engineer (XEN) Sartaj Singh Randhawa, who accompanied the DC, confirmed the embankments’ safety and outlined the department’s proactive measures. “As a precautionary step, we are strengthening areas where the river water is impacting the embankments. Round-the-clock efforts are underway, including placing sand-filled bags near Peerewal and Kishansinghwala to reinforce vulnerable sections,” he said.

Additionally, crates filled with soil bags are being deployed to prevent erosion and enhance embankment resilience. The department is also fortifying a temporary advanced embankment at Chak Patti Baloo Bahadur village.

SDO Vijay Kumar, overseeing the operations, affirmed, “There is no immediate threat to the embankments, and all necessary measures are being implemented to ensure their stability.”

Rescue ops continue

Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have evacuated more than 45 people, most of them women and children, from Baupur Jadid, Baupur Kadim, Sangra, Rampur Gora, Mand Bhim Kadim, Mand Bandhu Jadid, and Muhammadabad. SDRF Commander Inspector Deepak confirmed that along with rescuing villagers, the teams are also retrieving essential household belongings.

To support the affected communities, the administration has established fully equipped relief centres at Lakh Varian Government School and a gurdwara at Mand Kookan, providing shelter, food, and medical facilities. But the villagers have preferred to leave the women and children at their relatives' places along with necessary belongings while men are staying back in their raised houses within flooded areas.

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Use helpline, villagers urged

DC Panchal urged residents to seek assistance through the district-level control room at 01822-231990, the Sultanpur Lodhi flood control room at 01828-222169, or the Bholath helpline at 01822-271829.