Govt pushes connectivity boost in Ropar’s Bela with Rs 67 crore bridge projects

In a major post-flood relief push, the Punjab Government has rolled out an ambitious plan to strengthen road connectivity in the flood-hit Bela areas of Ropar district by constructing three high-level bridges over the Sutlej and Swan rivers. The initiative is aimed at ending decades of isolation faced by dozens of villages during monsoons in Bela belts of the Anandpur Sahib assembly constituency.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 35.48-crore, 511-metre-long high-level bridge over the Swan River near Bhallari village. The bridge will connect Bhallari with Mahindpur-Khera Kalmot and provide much-needed access to border villages such as Khera Kalmot, Bhangla and Majari, which are often cut off during heavy rains.

He also announced two more major bridge projects — a Rs 20 crore, 333-metre-long bridge connecting Kalitran with Palasi, and a Rs 12 crore, 180-metre-long bridge from Bela Dhiani to Palasi.

The Bela villages of Ropar district, located across the Sutlej river, have long struggled with accessibility issues. Every monsoon, swollen rivers cut off link roads, leaving thousands of residents marooned. Villagers are forced to wade through water or take long detours via precarious routes to reach markets, hospitals, and schools.

Local residents have been demanding permanent solutions, complaining that during floods, the area turns into an island. Even access to drinking water and supply of essential goods become uncertain. During the last monsoon, relief work was severely hampered as boats had to be used in some villages of Bela to evacuate families.

According to engineers, the three upcoming bridges will drastically shorten travel time, allowing residents of interior areas to reach main highways in just 10–15 minutes. Along with these projects, the government has approved the widening of nearly 11 km of approach roads to 18 feet, ensuring that heavy vehicles and emergency services can access remote habitations without disruption.

While the bridges will improve connectivity and reduce isolation during emergencies, they cannot prevent the flooding of low-lying Bela villages, many of which lie directly in the Sutlej River bed. Residents claim that every time the Bhakra and Nangal dams release excess water during monsoons, these areas are among the first to go under.

Experts believe that the only way to protect such villages is through complete channelisation of the Sutlej River. However, they remain cautious, noting that large-scale channelisation might not be enough to shield Bela’s low-lying habitations from heavy dam discharges during peak monsoon.

“Engineering works like channelisation can provide partial protection, but they cannot completely eliminate the risk of inundation when dam gates are opened to release massive quantities of water,” said a senior irrigation official while speaking on the condition of anonymity.