After months, Doaba’s last breach plugged

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, October 22

Loud cheers and victory slogans such as “Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” and “Satnam Waheguru” from hundreds of volunteers wrung the air as the last bundh of Doaba at Ahli Kalan village in Sultanpur Lodhi was plugged on the intervening night of October 20 and 21.

The 2.5-km (2,400 metre) bundh was the last of all Doaba bundhs to be plugged after the July floods, which damaged crops on thousands of acres in villages across Doaba this year. Hundreds of volunteers worked day and night for months to plug the breach.

Due to the damaged banks of the Beas near Ahli Kalan, crops and houses of several villages were submerged for the past three months.

The Ahli Kalan breach had affected Ahli Kalan, Ahli Khurd, Dhun Mand, Ahli Mand, Jamewal, Gamewal, Baakarke, Alluwal, Sarupwal, Sheikh Manga, Bharoana, Tibbi, Mand Inderpur, Qutabpur, Shahwala Andrisa, Mand Singhpur, Gudde, Fattewal and Singeki villages among others.

The Beas water was continuously flowing towards houses and crops for the past three months. The bundh also received at least two setbacks in August and September when water again flooded the region. Sand destroyed fields, burying crops under a fat layer.

Amidst recurrent floodwater coming in, work to repair the bundh had to be suspended for a month. It again began on September 12. Death of two children during the plugging of Baupur bundh also led to the suspension of work for several days in solidarity with the family.

After these setbacks, Baba Tara Singh, head of Sarhali Sahib, along with Baba Sukha Singh, offered ardaas (prayers) at the bundh on the completion of plugging work at 11 pm on October 20.

Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap, who has also been a steadfast ally of flood-affected farmers in Sultanpur Lodhi, along with RS MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal, who also worked tirelessly for flood-hit farmers, also joined the celebrations.

Gurjeet Singh, associate of Baba Sukha Singh, said: “Around 300 to 400 volunteers worked for months to plug this breach. This was the last and longest breach in Doaba. Now, Baba Sukha Singh will be plugging the final breach of the state at Munda village in Majha.”

With wheat sowing work to start in the coming days, plugging of the breach will allow hundreds of families to prepare agricultural land for re-cultivation.