As admn missing from action, youngsters lead in flood-control measures

Youngsters are leading in flood-control measures in the Ghanaur and Devigarh areas of Patiala without waiting for any help from the administration or the authorities.

From arranging sandbags to filling sand and then loading and offloading these at the Ghaggar banks, the youngsters are on the job for the past over 40 hours.

As The Tribune team reached Dharmherhi village, youngsters were seen placing sandbags to ensure that the Ghaggar water did not enter the village fields.

“After the district administration failed to reach us and despite many flood alerts, there was no help for the village to strengthen the river banks. We decided to get together and have partially repaired and fortified the weak sections of the Ghaggar,” said 21-year-old Gurpreet Singh. “We keep awake the entire night,” he added.

Meanwhile, Hardeep Singh Cheema from the same village said he had already tried to put sandbags near the Ghaggar as the embankment could give way anytime. “Instead of wasting time and waiting for the administration’s help, a few villagers chipped in and we pooled in over Rs 2 lakh worth of sandbags to save our village,” said Cheema, who suffered losses worth lakhs in the 2023 floods.

Flowing from the Shivalik hills, the seasonal river wreaked havoc in 2010 and 2023, besides causing damage almost every alternate year.

“We never feel safe living near the Ghaggar, but there is nothing much we can do. No one came to even help us shift our belongings, and now we are in knee-deep water flowing in our house,” said teary eyed Bibi Kaur of village Lacchru Kalan.

“A few boys from the village came to our rescue and took my two buffaloes to a nearby cowshed and also helped me with my medicines as we still waited for the government machinery,” she said.

Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dr Preeti Yadav, accompanied by Col Vinod Singh Rawat from the 1 Armoured Division, today visited several villages of the Shutrana constituency, situated along the Ghaggar, to review the water flow and flood-protection measures and inspected embankments of the Ghaggar and arrangements made at the vulnerable points.