Flood threat looms over Muktsar’s Haraj village; farmers accuse authorities of inaction

The residents of Haraj village are living in fear as rainwater — that has inundated their fields for nearly a fortnight — has now reached close to their houses. Farmers and the panchayat are accusing the authorities of doing little beyond lip service.

Village sarpanch Lachman Singh said, “The rainwater is about to damage houses, but the district administration has not taken any steps to drain it out. A pipeline laid in the past to carry the water to a drain about 2.5 km away is working, but it is insufficient for the volume of water. If drainage efforts are not expedited, we will face major losses.”

He added that the panchayat had installed a water-lifting pump from its own funds. “A senior revenue officer recently visited the village, but it turned out to be nothing more than a photo op,” the sarpanch remarked.

Echoing similar concerns, farmer Davinder Singh said, “Just one more spell of rain and we will face a situation just like in 2013, when our village remained waterlogged for over a month. The rain on Sunday has worsened the situation. Nearly 200 acres are already under water. Only timely action by the authorities can save us from further losses.”

Another farmer, Gurpiar Singh, said, “Our village is located in a low-lying area. If it rains again and the water level rises even by half foot, it will enter the residential area, causing damage. The weather is again cloudy today.”

Meanwhile, Muktsar MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, who recently toured some rain-affected villages, said efforts were afoot to drain rainwater from all affected areas. “Once the rainwater is drained, work on a permanent solution in these villages will begin so that farmers don’t suffer losses again,” Brar said.

According to a report of the state government, 64 villages have been affected by rain in Muktsar district.