Parl panel blames elevated roads for Punjab floods, seeks report from NHAI

A parliamentary committee has sought a detailed report within two months from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding elevated roads, which it said have blocked the natural flow of water from the agricultural fields.

The Committee has asked NHAI officials to produce record on the planning of the highways and arrangements made for the drainage of rainwater. Congress Lok Sabha MP Charanjit Singh Channi-led Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing had on Tuesday held a meeting with officials of the authority in this regard.

The panel pointed out that elevated highways, at places as high as 10 feet, were blocking the natural flow of water from the fields, resulting in problems to farmers battling incessant rain and flooding by rivers.

Among the major road projects undertaken by the NHAI in Punjab run between Amritsar-Katra, Amritsar-Bathinda, Ludhiana-Bathinda, Sirhind-Sehna, Mohali-Sirhind, Southern Ludhiana bypass and the Northern Patiala bypass.

Randhawa writes to Gadkari against NHAI officials

Gurdaspur: Gurdaspur Lok Sabha MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa blamed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the flooding of the Kartarpur corridor, saying it took place due to the absence of culverts.

In a letter to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, he urged to take action against officers of the NHAI responsible for this. A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle and safely directs the water flow under roads, preventing flooding and erosion.

Randhawa said five days ago, he had asked NHAI officers to visit the site of the corridor, identify the cause of waterlogging and also offer measures on how to rectify the fault. “However, none of the officials listened to me. When I told an officer that the flooding was due to the agency’s negligence, he did not respond to my query properly,” said the Gurdaspur Congress MP.

“He, in fact, curtly told me that he would ask an SDO-rank officer to look into the matter. The flooding of one of Sikh’s most sacred projects is a serious issue but the NHAI turned a deaf ear. I have now urged Nitin Gadkari to replace these officers with some responsible ones. Disciplinary action should be initiated against the errant officials,” the MP added.

The NHAI is responsible for constructing the four-lane highway from the Integrated Check Post (ICP), an integral part of the corridor.