Army, locals battle mighty Sutlej to save Ferozepur city

From “sweet” rice to “halwa” prepared in desi ghee and regular supply of “lassi” and hot tea is a common sight at Habib Ke village where jawans of the Madras Regiment are working along with locals to reinforce the Left Marginal Bundh (LMB) to save Ferozepur city from flooding.

“It is a rare sight to see the men in olive green and locals working shoulder to shoulder to avert the flooding,” said Karnail Singh, who has been doing “kar sewa” along with hundreds of villagers.

Notwithstanding the criticality of the situation, the environment seems charged. Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Bole So Nihal” rendering the air , these sons of the soil are giving perfect example of “unity and integrity” of the nation, at a stone’s throw distance from Pakistan.

Senior Army and Civil officials, including General Officer Commanding Golden Arrow Division, DC, SSP and others have also been visiting here to supervise the operation. Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said incessant rain and huge release of water downstream Harike had led to the rise in water level in the Sutlej leading to formation of powerful whirlpools at this site that began to erode the LMB, adding that subsequently, intensive berm cutting was observed between RD Point 11400 to RD Point 12600, which is a critical barrier protecting the city.

She said the help was sought from the Army, which within no time, deputed the Engineers Regiment to assess the situation and promptly mobilised jawans to undertake the joint operation with the district administration and NGOs in consultation with the Water Resources Department.

Army officials said this rapid response and effective collaboration with locals highlight the strong coordination between the Indian Army and the Civil administration.

Manpreet Singh of Habib Ke village said, “It is a do or die situation for us. We know how crucial is this bundh for Ferozepur.”