Villagers seek desilting of rivers, bridges in flood-hit region

The flood-hit villages of Sultanpur Lodhi have witnessed a rise in floodwaters by nearly 6 to 7 feet since August 11, when the floods first struck the region.

As a result, the demand for urgent desilting in floodplain areas has emerged as a key concern among residents. While the Beas river typically flows several feet below current levels under normal conditions, the recent deluge has brought not only high water but also years’ worth of accumulated sand and silt.

In past years, desilting efforts were undertaken under the Gidderpindi bridge on the Sutlej river—in both 2020 and 2023—following repeated demands by residents. They believe the desilting carried out in recent years contributed to relatively reduced damage in the Gidderpindi area this year.

In contrast, Sultanpur Lodhi now faces similar challenges. Villagers point to excessive silt deposits near the Goindwal Bridge and inadequate silt removal at Harike headworks as major factors in this year’s flooding. These obstructions, they say, have led to increased water levels and widespread devastation in the region.

Paramjit Singh, a farmer from Baupur village, said, “Decades ago, the Beas used to flow at much lower levels. While the river naturally carries soil, floods in 2023 and again this year have deposited vast amounts of sand. The waters are muddy and heavily silted. No desilting has been done at the Goindwal Bridge or up to the Harike headworks. This contributes to water levels rising by several feet. If desilting had been done earlier, we could have avoided this scale of destruction.”

Nishan Singh, a farmer from Passan Kadim village in Sultanpur Lodhi, added, “Whenever farmer representatives visit Harike, officials say water levels there are not as high as reported from our villages.

This discrepancy is due to the lack of desilting at Goindwal Bridge, which obstructs water flow and causes it to collect in the Sultanpur Lodhi floodplains. The water has no proper outlet or drainage.”

Gursharan Singh, a resident of Gidderpindi, said, “The Gidderpindi railway bridge was built in 1912 and is now over a century old. Its girders were designed for a Sutlej river that flowed at least 25 feet lower than today’s levels. Some desilting was carried out in 2023 by highway department officials, who also removed soil from under the bridge.

This seems to have helped in reducing water flow pressure this year. But the bridge still poses a risk due to long-term sand accumulation. We need a new, elevated bridge to prevent future floods.”

This year, Gidderpindi reported only one breach—at Mandala village—which resulted in flooding of approximately 500 to 800 acres of cropland, according to preliminary estimates.