No rain for two days: Leakage in offices continues, fard centre shut

Although Phagwara received some respite from rainfall on the second consecutive day, normal life remains in disarray as floods continue to wreak havoc, exposing administrative failures and leaving residents grappling with severe hardship.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) sharply criticised the local administration, accusing it of a “complete failure” in both disaster prevention and in providing timely relief. Press secretary Gurpal Singh Pala alleged that villages are still submerged while officials remain in “deep slumber.” He highlighted that even key government offices, including those of the Tehsildar, SDM, ADC and Municipal Commissioner, are leaking severely-rendering them unsafe for staff, including the newly appointed tehsildar.

The breakdown of essential services has further aggravated the situation in rural areas. The Fard centre, responsible for issuing critical land and revenue documents, has been shut for over a week after heavy rains triggered short circuits that damaged its computers and printers. Although services have been shifted to the local Sewa Kendra, residents complain it is difficult to reach and ill-equipped to handle the load, leaving them distressed and helpless.

In a critical failure during rescue efforts, the administration's two boats were found unfit for operation at the peak of the crisis. As a result, residents in low-lying villages such as Duggan, Bhakhrariana, Rawalpindi, Wahid, and Rampur Khaliyan were seen struggling through floodwaters on their own, attempting to save family members and livestock with little to no official support.

In sharp contrast, neighbouring Kapurthala district witnessed a far more organised response. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian visited flood-hit villages including Mand Inderpur and Yousafpur Darewal, delivering truckloads of fodder and relief material. He assured villagers that “no stone will be left unturned.”

Senior IAS officers Kamal Kishore Yadav and Varun Roojam conducted field reviews in Sultanpur Lodhi, directing the deployment of additional SDRF boats and prioritising restoration of road, bridge, power, water, and healthcare services.

Despite these efforts elsewhere, criticism against the state government continues to mount. Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal accused authorities of ignoring flood warnings and leaving families homeless, cattle starving, and patients without medicine. He demanded immediate cash assistance, fodder, and medical aid.

The strongest rebuke came from BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, who squarely blamed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP-led government.

Grewal alleged that the Bhakra Beas Management Board had recommended releasing dam water as early as April, but the state government “forcibly blocked” the proposal. Calling the move “irresponsible and disastrous,” he labelled the resulting floods a “man-made disaster” for which the state government must be held solely accountable.