Micro-hydel canal breaches in Ropar; crop on 100 acres damaged

Ropar, April 24

Standing wheat crop in fields of Ranjitpura village was damaged when a micro-hydel canal of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant passing through the area breached here today.

Local residents claimed that wheat crop on more than 100 acres was damaged due to flooding.

According to farmers, they noticed a small breach in the canal around 8 am. The locals said they informed officials at the thermal plant as well as district administration, but nothing was done to control the damage and within one hour the a portion of the canal bank was washed away. After that water also entered several houses in the village.

Chief Engineer at the thermal plant Manjit Singh said the thermal plant staff regularly monitor the canal and there was no damage to it till early morning. Around 8 am, there was a sudden breach in the canal leading to flooding, he said.

DC Preeti Yadav said due to the ongoing harvesting season, there was not much damage to crops as wheat in majority of fields had already been harvested. The Revenue Department had been ordered to assess the damage to crops, she added.