Rain fury: Several villages stare at evacuation as flood threat looms

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Jalandhar, July 9

Hundreds of villages in Jalandhar (Phillaur, Shahkot, Lohian) and Kapurthala (Sultanpur Lodhi) districts face a harrowing night as following crop damages on vast swathes of land, villagers now dread the inflow of more waters from Ropar side during the night.

Amidst the flood, many villages also face a shortage of clean water.

As flood threat loomed, officials of the district administration, minister, MP and MLAs spent the day touring flood-prone villages and low-lying areas to assess the damage and make preparations to prevent further losses. Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal and Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal visited various areas, villages and flood-prone or affected stretches since early on Sunday morning.

While Seechewal flagged the flood-like situation in over three dozen villages, he also expressed concern over the unavailability of water at many places as all the area surrounding the homes of local farmers had been flooded. He also said that the role of some locals was aggravating the situation. Seechewal visited Giddarpindi and Jania Chahal to take stock of the situation.

Punjab Minister Balkar Singh, who also visited Gidderpindi, said the Chief Minister had assured of all assistance and also deputed the minister to accord help to Seechewal in managing the floods.

Seechewal was told by the farmers unhappy about the non-availability of water in the fields at villages Killiwada, Giddarpindi, Bharoana and Dalla Road that the culverts meant for water drainage had been closed by some people. In Bharoana village, some people of the Mand area had even refused to open the gate meant for water drainage, due to which paddy in thousands of acres was in danger of getting submerged.

Gidderpindi Sarpanch Kulwant Singh said the floods in 2019 had caused devastation on a large-scale. Now, with the water level in the Sutlej river rising continuously and the fields already full of water, people may become an obstacle in draining the water from the fields.

The Flood Prevention Committee Chairman, Kulwinder Singh, told the Cabinet Minister, Balkar Singh, and Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal that in 2020 and 2021, Gidderpindi village was saved from floods by the removal of soil from under the railway bridge under an initiative taken by Seechewal. This time, the situation was getting worse than before.

He said action should be taken against those who obstructed the drainage of water in Bharoana. People said 25,000 acres of paddy crop in more than three dozen villages like Kutbiwal, Giddarpindi, Wada Jodh Singh, Killiwada, Watawali Kalan, Watawali Khurd, Sekhan Manga, Nalla, Mandla and Bharoana etc. had been submerged under water. They also said if water is not taken out of the fields within two-three days, then the paddy crop will be ruined.

On the other hand, Vishesh Sarangal, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar and Captain Karnail Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, instructed officials of their respective districts to drain water from the fields.

Villages to be evacuated

The 50 flood-prone villages in Jalandhar which the district administration has asked SDMs to evacuate include Boorewal, Chak Hathiwala, Narangpur, Parjian Khurd, Gehlan, Bhado, Danewal, Baopur, Rametaharpur, Saand, Rampur, Fakhruwal, Sandhawal, Fazalwal, Sahlapur, Aidalpur, Bajwa Kalan, Langewal, Bhoepur, Khammowal, Bahmania, Chak Bahmnia, Taharpur, Rame, Chak Rame, Smailpur, Fatehpur Bhagwa, Chak Gadaripur, Gatti Peer Baksh, Raipur, Jakopur Kalan, Gatti Raipur, Jania Chahal, Jania, Kotha, Chak Budala, Marajwala, Mandi Kasu, Mandi Cohlian, Mandi Sehrian, Gatta Mundi Kasu, Padana, Nasirpur, Mandala, Mandi Kalu, Kutbiwal, Gidderpindi, Yusufpur Alewal, Yusufpur Darewal and Chak Yusufpur Aalewal.

Youth washed away in flash floods

An 18-year-old youth from Bholewal village in Saroya, Nawanshahr, went missing after he was washed away in flash floods triggered by heavy rains here on Sunday evening. The village is situated in the Kandi area. Balachaur MLA Santosh Kataria reached the spot after he came to know about the incident. The MLA said search was going for the missing boy.