Rumours disrupt rescue work at Sutlej Bandh near Ludhiana's Sasrali

The district administration has taken serious note of the alleged irresponsible behaviour of some residents who disrupted ongoing rescue and strengthening work at Sutlej Bandh near Sasrali village, where a portion of the structure has weakened.

The situation worsened after a large number of people gathered at the site following rumours on social media claiming water overflow due to erosion of the bandh.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain urged the public not to panic over fake reports of a breach. He clarified that no such incident had been reported in the district so far.

“Though some portions of soil have eroded at certain points, there is no water overflow or breach, and water has not entered any village,” he said, adding that the administration is keeping a close watch on the situation.

Despite police barricading the area up to 2 km to prevent obstruction, several youngsters from nearby villages rushed to the spot after hearing false reports of a canal breach. The villagers were seen requesting onlookers not to go near the river flow as the soil on the banks were weak, but their pleas fell to deaf ears as youngsters were seen making videos and taking pictures.

Army personnel, police, villagers and NGOs have been working round-the-clock to strengthen the bandh. To coordinate efforts, a district-level flood control room has been set up, with a helpline number — 0161-2433100.

A large number of trucks, trolleys carrying sand, bags, stones, and water tanks have already been deployed for reinforcement, but the presence of onlookers has been obstructing smooth operations.