Ghaggar threatens Sangrur villages

Sangrur, July 9

With water level rising in the seasonal Ghaggar, the surrounding villages have started preparations to offer support to the administration in case of any breach. Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer also visited the Ghaggar areas and said the Water Resources Department was fully prepared to deal with any untoward situation.

However, some residents have alleged that had the previous governments taken the Ghaggar issue seriously, the problem would have been solved long ago.

“There are many villages, which have suffered huge losses repeatedly due to breaches in the Ghaggar in the past. But neither previous governments, nor senior officers took any much needed action to solve this problem,” said Rinku Moonak, a leader of the BKU Ugrahan.

Area residents alleged that from Khanauri to Makraud Sahib, the Ghaggar has width of 588 feet, but from Makraud Sahib to Kadail it’s width is just 190 feet. The decrease in width leads to blocking and overflowing of water causing floods in many villages of area repeatedly. The proposal to widen the Ghaggar from Makraud Sahib to Kadail has been pending with the Ghaggar standing committee of the Central Government from the past many years.

After visiting Moonak-Tohana bridge and embankment at Makraur Sahib, Meet Hayer said the department had already done flood prevention works before the monsoon season and the department was fully prepared to deal with any emergency.

“Around Rs 5.5 crore have been spent on prevention works in Sangrur district. The district civil and police administration are promptly visiting the ground level and taking stock of the entire situation. The field staff of the department has already been instructed and they are keeping an eye on the sensitive places. The field staff was in full coordination with the district administration, said the minister.