Plans afoot to transform Badi, Chhotti Nadi into boon for city, claims minister

Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh today criticised the previous governments for merely engaging in rituals concerning Patiala’s flood issues without offering a scientific solution. The Cabinet minister, accompanied by senior officials from various departments, visited an anti-flooding project to review its progress.

“For decades, floods were described as a curse on Patiala, while those in power limited themselves to performing offerings to the swollen river, instead of taking any concrete steps. As a result, the public was misled and no long-term protection was ensured,” said the minister.

The minister stated that the current Punjab Government had launched a comprehensive scientific project to transform the Badi and Chhotti Nadi, once considered a curse, into a boon for future generations.

The minister highlighted that the residents had endured repeated devastation from floods in the past, particularly in 1993, 1994 and 2023 monsoons. He emphasised that these disasters were not purely natural calamities, but largely the result of flawed and negligent policies of the previous governments. Now, with a forward-thinking approach in place, a scientific solution is being implemented to safeguard the city.

He explained that the Patiala ki Rao, which flows from Chandigarh through Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib before reaching Patiala, will be scientifically managed by constructing approximately 1,000 recharging wells along its course. These wells, each 15 to 30 feet deep and lined with bricks and mesh, will absorb between 2-5 lakh litres of water each.