Heavy rain flood dozens of villages in Garhshankar, roads washed away

Heavy rainfall in the Garhshankar subdivision has led to flooding in over two dozen villages, with at least half a dozen roads washed away by the strong flow of rainwater. The deluge has also caused widespread damage to hundreds of acres of standing crops, as water entered the fields across multiple villages.

Floodwaters inundated key infrastructure, including the 66 KV power house and civil hospital on Sri Anandpur Sahib Road, affecting villages such as Pandori Beet, Rampur, Bildon, Bhammiya, Rodmajra, Pahlewal and Garhshankar city. In Pandori Beet, floodwaters rose up to five feet, prompting residents to place sandbags at their doorsteps in an attempt to keep the water out. Despite these efforts, many houses were submerged.

Road connectivity was severely affected. A landslide and fallen tree on the Garhshankar-Nangal Road led to the complete closure of access to the Beet area and Himachal, which was reopened only by the afternoon. Additionally, over 15 feet of road between village Kunail and village Rodmajra was washed away due to the powerful water current.

In village Nangla, both approach roads were swept away, cutting off the village from all sides. The situation was further worsened as rivulets and seasonal streams, including those in Pandori Beet and Maira Khad, overflowed, blocking numerous roads and making it difficult for residents to reach their destinations.

Crops in villages such as Rodmajra, Nangla, Rampur and Bildon were heavily damaged as floodwater entered vast stretches of farmland, affecting hundreds of acres.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sanjeev Kumar visited the affected villages and assessed the situation. Relief measures are underway—ration supplies are being delivered where necessary and sandbags have been placed after removing water from the 66 KV electricity grid and civil hospital in Garhshankar.

He assured that road repairs will commence once the water recedes and a report on crop damage will be prepared and submitted to the government for compensation. “There is certainly a challenge due to the persistent heavy rainfall, but the situation is currently under control,” the SDM stated.

Chief Secy reviews flood relief in Sultanpur Lodhi

Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha on Sunday assured that the state government would extend all possible help to the people living in flood-affected areas of Punjab.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to finding a permanent solution to prevent future flooding in the 16 villages of Baupur Island in Sultanpur Lodhi subdivision of Kapurthala district.

Reviewing the ongoing flood relief operations in Sultanpur Lodhi, Sinha was accompanied by Water Resources Department Secretary Krishan Kumar. The Chief Secretary visited villages Baupur and Sangra, interacted with local residents and listened to their concerns attentively. He assured the villagers that the Punjab Government is taking their issues seriously and will make dedicated efforts to protect the area from recurring floods.

He highlighted that large-scale efforts are underway to evacuate people safely, provide adequate shelter and ration supplies, prevent the outbreak of diseases, and ensure livestock health. Sinha instructed all officers and personnel engaged in relief and rescue work to approach their responsibilities with a sense of public service and commitment.

Emphasising the priority of saving lives and property, the Chief Secretary called for the acceleration of evacuation operations in severely affected areas. During his visit, he was accompanied by Rajya Sabha Member Balbir Singh Seechewal, Kapurthala Improvement Trust Chairman Sajjan Singh Cheema and Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal. The team travelled by boat from Baupur bridge to reach flood-hit families and assess the ground situation.

Sinha also reviewed the relief efforts being carried out jointly by the District Administration, Army and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force). He said the Punjab Government has ordered a special girdawari (crop damage assessment) in flood-affected areas and tehsildars have been deployed to expedite compensation for affected farmers.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal briefed the Chief Secretary on the situation in flood-affected villages across the Kapurthala district. He informed that the Army and SDRF teams are actively evacuating people and door-to-door awareness campaigns are underway to convince residents to move to safer locations.

Relief camps have been established at Fazlabad, Lakh Waryain, Ahli Kalan, Mand Kuka Gurdwara Sahib and Bharoana Gurdwara Rabab Sar Sahib. Teams from the Revenue, Health, Animal Husbandry, Water Resources and other departments are deployed round-the-clock and are actively involved in relief operations across the region.

Among those present during the Chief Secretary’s visit were Sajjan Singh Cheema (Sultanpur Lodhi constituency in-charge and Improvement Trust Chairman), Advocate Karambeer Singh Chandi (Kapurthala constituency in-charge), SSP Gaurav Toora, Additional Deputy Commissioner Navneet Kaur Ball, and Sub-Divisional Magistrates of Kapurthala, Bhulath and Sultanpur Lodhi, along with heads of all relevant departments.