Ludhiana’s Sasrali village faces imminent flood threat as water rushes towards bandh

Panic gripped residents of Sasrali village once again today as the Sutlej stream started flowing towards the protective embankment, raising fear of a breach.

The district administration immediately called in Army and NDRF teams to assist villagers in strengthening the bandh. Around 100 personnel, along with nearly 900 villagers and labourers, worked on reinforcing the stretch with iron nets, sandbags, heavy wooden logs and stones.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, ADCs and the SDM East camped at the site, coordinating arrangements. “We are making every possible effort to prevent the Sutlej from breaching the bandh,” said DC Jain. He also directed announcements from the village gurdwara, advising residents to shift their cattle to safer areas and move themselves to higher floors or secure shelters.

Sarpanch Surinder Singh Namdhari said villagers were working round-the-clock to plug weak spots where sand had slipped, diverting the Sutlej’s flow dangerously close to the bandh. “The water is just a few feet away, but with joint efforts, we are determined to save the village,” he said.

Punjab’s Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian also visited Sasrali this morning, assuring residents of full government support. He stayed on the spot for several hours to oversee operations.

BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Balliawal, also present at the site, said nearly 1,000 people were engaged in the operation. “The water level of Sutlej caused erosion of sand banks, pushing the flow towards the village side. Every possible measure is being taken to protect the bandh,” he said.

The bhog of a three-day Akhand Path was also performed at Sasrali Colony village today to pray for protection from floods. After its conclusion, villagers started another three-day path at the same spot.