Villagers fear flooding during monsoon

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18

As the monsoon is drawing near, people living near the banks of Sutlej River have urged the government to ensure the strengthening of the river bundh from Shani Mandir to Bholewal Qadim, near Phillaur, at the earliest.

In August 2019, a big portion of the bundh had washed away at Bholewal Qadim village of Ludhiana district. The river water had entered into nearby villages, damaging the crops. However, the breach was later plugged when the water had receded in the river.

Now, the villagers are worried as they claimed that no concrete measures have been taken to strengthen the bundh from different points in the past 10 months. They say the government should do the needful to strengthen the bundh.

Mukhtiar Singh of Bholewal Qadim said: “The panchayats of various Ludhiana villages have been demanding from the department concerned to strengthen the bundh. Last year, the river had overflowed, and later, a portion of bundh at Bholewal Qadim had washed away.”

Notably, many villagers used to keep vigil on swollen Sutlej River by spending nights on the bundh last year.

“There are around five villages of Ludhiana district near Phillaur, but these villages were being ignored for a long time. Last year too, the villagers themselves kept a vigil on the rising water-level in the river and had made efforts on their own by putting soil at weak points of the bundh. But a long breach had occurred,” said Gurcharan Singh of Allowal village in Ludhiana district.

He further said: “The breach in the bundh at Bholewal Qadim was later plugged by putting soil. But, there is an urgent need to strengthen the river bundh and its height should be raised now. We have requested the department concerned for strengthening the bundh many times but to no avail. We were planning to put soil on the bundh this year too, but the department concerned told us not to do so. We are waiting for the department’s attention towards the bundh. The flood threat can’t be ignored if the bundh is not strengthened,” he said.

Sukhwinder of Bholewal Qadim is worried as water had entered into their family’s 9.5-acre land during the 2019 floods. “Our 40 per cent crop had damaged in the floods, but we had not got any compensation. The government should ensure the strengthening of the bundh to avoid floods in the future,” he said.

Drainage Department XEN Vijay Garg said: “I had received a call from a villager. He had claimed that they want to put soil for strengthening the bundh where the breach had taken place in Bholewal Qadim. We have already conducted a survey of the bundh. I will visit the bundh points and work out a plan on what needs to be done.”

“We have already started putting soil at critical points where 5-6 breaches had taken place last year,” said Vijay Garg.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.