Abohar village flooded for month, threat of disease looms large

Saiyadwala village, located on the berms of Abulkhurana drain near Abohar-Sriganganagar national highway, has been waterlogged since the season’s first heavy rainfall on August 1. No substantial efforts have been made to drain the streets.

There are a total of 1,177 families as per the 2011 Census. Saiyadwala was visited by former CM Parkash Singh Badal when the overflowing Abulkhurana drain wreaked havoc in 1997. The residents were assured such a situation won’t recur.

Residents Sonu Sokhal, Pradeep Kumar Ghorela, Atma Ram and Vinod Kumar said rainwater had entered many houses and that no relief arrangements were made by the administration, forcing villagers to pass through dirty water every day. There is a glut of mosquitoes and thus a risk of disease, they added.

Raman Chaudhary, the husband of the sarpanch, said ever since the August 1 rain, the area has not been drained by the administration, with subsequent downpour only exacerbating the situation. The villagers are draining water on their own.

In 2020, a breach in the drain led to flooding in cotton fields spread over 15,884 acres in 60 low-lying villages of Abohar and Balluana segments. Even then, the administration had turned a blind eye, villagers rued.