Crop in 43 Sangrur villages submerged

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, July 30

Flood threat looms over many villages as rainwater has submerged standing crops in 5,400 acres of 43 villages in Moonak and Lehra blocks during the past 24 hours.

Seasonal rivulet Ghaggar has also crossed the danger mark of 747 feet and it can cause a breach any time as residents of various villages have been trying to drain out water from their fields into the Ghaggar by laying pipes.

Senior officials of the Agriculture Department said if water was not removed quickly, it would damage the standing crops.

“The chances of survival of crops are dim. Since water level in the Ghaggar has crossed the danger mark and is still increasing, we could not drain out rainwater from our fields into the Ghaggar,” said Jasvir Singh, a farmer from Moonak.

Sangrur Chief Agriculture Officer Jaswinderpal Singh Grewal said, “We are in touch with the senior authorities and updating them regularly.”

The affected villages of Andana block include Makraud Sahib, Mandvi, Chandu, Bushehra, Shergarh, Shahpur Thedi, Nawagaon, Banarasi, Andana, Chatha Gobindpura, Phulad, Hamirgarh, Bhundar Bhaini, Surjan Bhaini, Salemgarh and Moonak while the remaining villages are in the Lehra block.

“The Punjab Government has not released required funds to strengthen embankments and for draining out rainwater. The government should immediately take some steps and start assessment of the damaged crop,” said Lehra MLA Parminder Dhindsa.

Chetan Gupta, SDO, Drainage Department, said, “Our teams are patrolling in the area and convincing residents against draining out water from their fields into the river, which is already flowing at 747.6 feet. We can remove water from fields only after the water level recedes in the Ghaggar. However, the level has started going down in the upstream.”

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