Breach in Ludhiana's Buddha Nullah yet to be plugged

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 30

Even days after about 40-45 feet-long breach occurred on the banks of the Buddha Nullah near Talwara village, the stinking and polluted water of the drain is still flowing into fields. The breach could not be plugged even today as a large amount of water got accumulated in the fields adjoining the damaged embankment area.

Officials of the Drainage Department on Friday visited the site and they said the breach would be plugged once the water level get reduced in the drain and adjoining fields. Meanwhile, the department staff was deployed to fill sand in bags to be placed at the damaged site.

The residents of Talwara, Bagga Khurd and nearby Rajowal were still worried as they said the nullah’s polluted water could cause more destruction if the breach was not plugged at the earliest. They were keeping an eye on the water level in the drain day and night.

The residents said the breach on the banks had occurred over a week ago, flooding the fields with polluted water when heavy rainfall lashed the city.

“When the matter was brought into the notice of the officials concerned, a team had also visited the site. An official had then asked the villagers to contribute funds for the repair of the damaged portion as he claimed the department concerned had a shortage of funds. The damaged portion of the bank was not immediately repaired. Thus, a large amount of more polluted water entered the fields when rain lashed two days ago, damaging the paddy crops in more fields. The water from the nullah is still flowing towards the fields”, said Sonu of Talwara village.

Satwinder Singh Bittu of Bagga Khurd said: “The work should be done on a war footing to plug the breach, otherwise if rainfall lashes again, people will have to suffer more. The nullah’s polluted water has already reached the fields of three villages — Talwara, Bagga Khurd and Rajjowal. We can’t even reach some fields due to the accumulation of black-coloured stinking water. We also want compensation should be paid to those whose crops have got damaged.”

The villagers said a large amount of trash had collected near Jainpur village bridge due to which water in the drain was not flowing properly, resulting in damaging the embankment. When the breach occurred, the water flow was too high as it washed away a big portion of the adjoining panchayat land too, they said.

On the other hand, the executive engineer of the Drainage Department, Harjot Singh Walia, blamed some villagers for the breach.

He said the land adjoining the damaged bank portion was earlier excavated by some persons due to which the incident took place. He said the department was making all efforts to get the breach plugged as soon as possible. The executive engineer said he had already talked to the higher authorities for arranging a budget for the repair of the damaged portion of the embankment.

Drainage Department SDO Rakesh Kumar said they would make an approach way to reach the damaged site of the bank and then work would be started to repair the damaged bank portion.

Meanwhile, DC Varinder Kumar Sharma said instructions had been issued to the officials concerned to take action in the matter.

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