Floodwaters devour Radcliffe Line, border fencing in Ferozepur

The Sutlej floodwaters have submerged man-made markings, such as border pillars and barbed wire fencing along the Zero Line that divides India and Pakistan in the Ferozepur sector, completely transforming the landscape.

The river waters have also inundated the joint India-Pakistan checkpost at Hussainiwala, because of which the Beating the Retreat ceremony has also been indefinitely cancelled.

Even the road leading to the checkpost has been severely damaged at various sources, BSF officials have told The Tribune.

The submergence of the border fencing has forced the border force to deploy its water wing, which is equipped with motorboats and surveillance drones.

“The sheer volume of water has transformed the landscape,” a BSF official said.

The BSF has been able to thwart several attempts by cross-border drug smugglers to take advantage of the flood situation and has seized a huge quantity of heroin in the last 10 days, sources said. The BSF also captured a person belonging to Hazarasingh Wala who was trying to swim across to Pakistan near the Pachharian outpost.

BSF men are reaching out to the affected people in this hour of distress despite their own border outposts being inundated.

A BSF official said the troops were not only maintaining vigil but had also launched extensive rescue operations in flood-hit border villages.

Ten BSF rescue teams, equipped with speedboats, have been deployed near Kaluwala, Tendi Wala and Gatti Rajjo Ke villages, and more have been positioned near Nihala Lavera, Dheera Gara and Sultanwala villages. Besides helping in the evacuation, the BSF is also assisting them in shifting household items, livestock and essential material from the inundated houses.

"Our personnel are on high alert, especially in those areas where the fencing is completely submerged," said a senior BSF official. "Our duty is to protect the boundaries of our beloved country and its people; come what may, we will not let anyone down,” said the official.