Patiala administration on toes as flood risk looms over district

As a flood threat looms large, the district administration is on its toes, clearing river beds and choes at the last minute.

Residents in villages worst-hit by past floods decried the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the drainage department in ensuring de-silting and cleaning work. As water swells in Markanda, Ghaggar and Tangri, the villagers in Sanaur, Shutrana and Samana residents continue to be at risk of sudden floods.

With the region being on a flood alert for the past fortnight, minister Dr Balbir Singh along with the Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav are making field visits along with the administration officials.

Almost 30 km away in Shutrana, Ghanaur and Samana, the villagers are worried even as the administration claims that cleaning and inspection of river banks has been done.

A senior irrigation department official said barring the situation at Ghaggar and Tangri, there is no threat of flood in Patiala. “However the rain in the hills is crucial and if there is heavy rain in the hills, then more precaution needs to be taken. However we are fully prepared, though nothing much can be done if there are sudden floods in Ghaggar as it flows in a zig-zag manner”, he said.

Notably, floods had severely affected parts of Patiala and surrounding areas in 2010 and again in 2023.

The administration is yet to complete the work of cleaning rivers and rivulets, causing panic among local residents and villagers. While officials have held many meetings and repeated directions passed by the authorities at the top, the work is pending.

“You can yourself see that the wild growth is there in the choes and darins and nothing has been done to clear it. In case of water flow this growth will haper flow of water and only result in floods”, said Bhanri village resident Hardeep Singh.

“The Drainage Department and the Municipal Corporation have failed to ensure steps to clean the drains and the flowing water bodies. Encroachments continue to thrive and no one is bothered until the floods come,” said Paramjit Singh, a resident in Urban Estate. “Last year, we moved our furniture and other valuable items to the rooftop and are doing the same today again,” he added.

Senior officials said the drainage department cleared the Jhambo choe where water flow was hampered due to the plants and wild growth that had stuck near the village.

“Cranes and other machinery was deputed and the choe was cleared. Our teams are reaching the villages from where we get any information about any drain, choe or river flow affected”, said senior irrigation department officers.

“I am here to ensure that all efforts are made to ensure there is no loss due to floods in the Ghaggar, Badi Nadi and Chhoti Nadi. We have arranged for sand bags and efforts are on to ensure bandhs are strengthened exactly where the 2023 floods had hit”, said Dr Balbir Singh who is overseeing the flood related efforts.