Patiala administration on high alert as Markanda, Tangri flow over danger mark

Deputy Commissioner Dr Preeti Yadav today informed that the water level of the Ghaggar has receded in Ghanaur area and is currently flowing at 8 feet at Sarala Head, where the danger mark is 16 feet. However, the Tangri and Markanda rivers are still flowing about two and a half feet above the danger level.

Yadav said the administration is fully prepared to tackle any eventuality in the Shutrana constituency, adding, “Embankments are being continuously strengthened at vulnerable spots with the combined efforts of the Drainage Department, local residents and the Army.”

The DC added that since August 29, the district administration, drainage officials and the local community have been working round-the-clock to ensure that no breach occurs in either Ghaggar or Tangri. She expressed hope that once the water level in the Tangri and Markanda subsides, the Ghaggar will also recede further.

Sagarapara breach plugged

The DC informed that a breach occurred at the Sagarapara drain, a tributary of the Ghaggar carrying water from Bibipur Lake in Haryana, near Sagara village, this evening.

The drainage department staff, SDM Patran Ashok Kumar, XEN Pratham Gambhir and local residents swung into action and the breach was plugged, preventing any major damage. Thanking the villagers for their assistance, Yadav said the nearby crops and habitations were now completely safe.

She said with water levels falling in Ghanaur, SDM Rajpura Avikesh Gupta’s team has intensified relief measures in the area and initiated post-flood works on a war footing. At the same time, SDM Kirpalveer Singh of Dudhan Sadhan, along with Drainage Department SE Rajinder Ghai and local volunteers, are guarding the embankments of the Tangri river.

Due to the Markanda flowing above the danger mark, residents of Budhmor, Jodhpur, Sadikpur Veeran, and Mahmudpur Roorkee villages were also advised to remain vigilant and avoid going near the fast-flowing water.

The DC also mentioned that the Water Supply and Sanitation Department is regularly inspecting pipelines in affected areas to ensure uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water.

She informed that water samples have been collected from Dharamheri, Ultpur, Mehmoodpur, Badli, Sassa Gujran, Sassi Brahmana and Hari Nagar Kherki for quality checks. Fodder and other essential supplies are also being dispatched to affected villages such as Dharamheri and Sassi Brahmana by the district administration and MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra’s team.

Yadav assured the residents living along the Ghaggar, Tangri, and Markanda that there was no need for panic. “The administration, under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is fully prepared to handle the situation,” she said.