Panic grips Ludhiana: Waterlogging and floodwaters cause misery

Ludhiana district, which had remained unaffected so far, was placed on high alert today after 90,000 cusecs of water was released from Ropar this morning. The Sutlej, which had been flowing at around 35,000 cusecs, is now expected to touch the 1 lakh cusec mark within hours. Since early morning, officials have been on their toes, with teams and workers engaged in strengthening embankments in villages along the river.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, who visited areas along the Buddha Nullah and inspected the Dhussi bandh at Talwandi Nayabad, told The Tribune that the city was on high alert as water levels were likely to rise further. “All possible and necessary measures are being taken to prevent any damage from the excessive water, and teams are already on the ground,” he said.

Heavy showers that lashed Ludhiana since around 5:30 AM today, continued non-stop for over seven hours, adding to the woes of flood-hit Punjab. Panic gripped among residents as waterlogged streets, roads and rising water levels at Buddha Nullah created fresh concerns across the city.

With schools already closed across the state due to floods and incessant rains, today, the state government announced closure of colleges as well.

About 2-3 feet of water was reported in low-lying areas, particularly along Basti Jodhewal, Tajpur Road, Samrala Chowk, Janakpuri areas etc, the condition in posh areas like Rani Jhansi Road, and near Lodhi Club was also the same as puddles of water could be seen all over causing difficulty for commuters.

Locals were seen praying for relief from rains that have already brought widespread misery.

In villages along the Sutlej, anxiety mounted as the water level continued to rise. “Water is just a few metres away from entering the fields, and villagers are panicked,” said Sonu, Sarpanch of Boothgarh. The administration, he added, had sent teams late last night to assess the situation and put up measures to prevent water from entering fields.

Several trees were uprooted across different areas, and the relentless rain further disrupted normal life in the city.

Meanwhile, social media groups were abuzz with good samaritans mobilising support for flood-hit areas. Messages were exchanged about sending ration, mosquito nets, water and first-aid kits. Some volunteers were also seen arranging boats to provide rescue and relief.

Closure of dyeing units: 

Deputy Commissioner cum chairman, District Disaster Management Committee Ludhiana, Himanshu Jain has ordered the closure of all the dyeing units and printing clusters with immediate effect. The orders came following his visit along with MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal at Chander Nagar Pulley and other areas along Buddha Nullah to access the flood situation. The officials observed that due to excessive rainfall and water, the STPs in city were overflowing and the water could enter in the low lying areas.

To avoid any complications and keeping in mind the problems residents of such areas could face, all the dyeing units on Tajpur Road, Bahadurke Road, industrial area, units at Jalandhar Bypass and Samrala Chowk, printing units all over are orders to be shut.

“The situation though is under control but if the rains do not stop, the water if Buddha Nullah could overflow and enter in low lying areas”, said Jain.

Amid rising water levels, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain also inspected the Dhussi Bandh in Khaira Bet and ordered a permanent deployment of administration team to keep vigil on the situation.

Ludhiana samaritans arrange for boats

Good samaritans here are donating generously to help the masses. Sonu Nilibar from Punjab Textile Association said that they have arranged funds for two boats, which will be airlifted from Mumbai and reach Amritsar by evening. “Ration, kits etc are enough, but boats were needed to reach out to masses. We collected funds and people from Jaipur, Nasik, Pune, are coming forward to donate. So we are sending two boats to flood-hit areas in Amritsar by evening,” said Nilibar.

Meanwhile, MLA Pappi Prashar visited many low lying areas in the city to check as excessive water had entered into the houses in low lying areas.