Flood situation turns grim in Sultanpur Lodhi's Mand region

The flood situation in Punjab has escalated, with the Beas river's water level reaching 1.37 lakh cusecs. Erosion has begun at six locations along the river, posing significant challenges to embankment stabilisation.

Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, alongside volunteers and residents from 35 villages in Sultanpur Lodhi's Mand area, has been tirelessly working in the rain to reinforce the embankments. He urged locals to assist at the advance embankment in Ahli Kalan.

Heavy rainfall in Kapurthala district and surrounding areas has further exacerbated concerns for flood-affected farmers. Seechewal reported that sandbags are being deployed at erosion points beneath the advance embankment. The hardest-hit villages include Ahli Kalan, Karmuwala Pattan and Ahli Khurd, where strengthening efforts are ongoing.

Farmer Balwinder Singh highlighted the urgent need for machinery, such as JCB machines and tractor-trolleys, to combat erosion. He warned that a breach in the embankment could devastate crops across 35,000 to 40,000 acres belonging to around 35 villages.

A senior officer from the Drainage Department noted that over 70,000 cusecs of water was released from the Pong Dam into the Beas river today. He cautioned that continued rainfall in the hills could worsen conditions for residents already affected by flooding for the past 14 days.