Plugging operation at swift pace in Phillaur’s Meowal

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Meowal/ Phillaur, August 25

Having suffered around 10 breaches, the plugging operation is going on at a swift pace at Meowal village in Phillaur.

With three small breaches already been repaired, the longest breach on the banks of the Sutlej could not be plugged even after making continuous efforts for the past six days. Though ADC Jasbir Singh, who is monitoring the plugging work, said the breach had been repaired, residents and volunteers said the work would take a few more hours on Monday for completion.

Taking the help of around 300 MGNREGA workers and 150 volunteers of Baba Talwinder Singh, Baba Kashmira Singh and Baba Nirmal Singh, the 380-ft-long and 25-ft deep breach was plugged around 80 per cent till this evening. Nirmal Singh said the breach could not be repaired on Sunday. More volunteers had joined them in the task.

The farmers, who suffered crop losses around the breach point, rued that instead of bringing sand on their own, administration officials had roped in workers for digging sand from their fields.

Gurmukh Singh, a resident of the village, said the continuous digging of his fields has further deepened the depressions. With the limited supply of sand, the officials were leaving them on the receiving end as they won’t be having enough soil to fill the pits on their fields.

Had the officials had stopped the illegal mining, that took place just 50 m away from the breach 15 days ago, they wouldn’t have suffered the losses”, added Gurmukh.

Member of Parliament Santokh Singh Chaudhary, who reviewed the plugging operation work at the breaches on Saturday, said for the immediate plugging of the breaches, sand was taken from the fields. However, all farmers would be given compensation and their fields would be fixed by the administration. He further said the administration had no shortage of resources for the plugging operation and with the help of volunteers, remaining breaches would also be plugged shortly.

Longest breach not plugged for six days

With three small breaches already been repaired, the longest breach on the banks of the Sutlej could not be plugged even after making continuous efforts for the past six days. Though ADC Jasbir Singh, who is monitoring the plugging work, said the breach had been repaired, residents and volunteers said the work would take a few more hours on Monday for completion.