Ravi spreads 10 km beyond bank

The count of flood-ravaged villages in Amritsar’s Ajnala reached around 70 on Saturday as the Ravi water entered 20 more places.

So far, 30,000 residents of the Ramdass and Lopoke have been impacted by flooding, prompting the authorities to launch rescue operations with the assistance of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The floodwater has entered residential areas located around 10 km from the Ravi bank. The riverwater had started entering low-lying areas of the Ajnala town on Friday. A day later, Lakhupur, Talwandi Rai Dado and Nangal villages situated on the outskirts of the town were inundated with water.

According to officials, close to 1,700 have been rescued from the flood-affected areas as a majority of people were reluctant to leave their homes. They have shifted to roofs of their houses. Boats and four all-terrain vehicles have been pressed into the service for the rescue work. “The day has passed. Tomorrow too will go away, but what will happen the day after tomorrow, when we have nothing left? Our crops have been damaged, so are our houses. This,” said Sadha Singh, a weary farmer, pointing to his submerged paddy field.

The cattle, the backbone of the rural economy, are also missing or dead. Granaries have been swept away. On rooftops, families huddle together around makeshift kitchens, watching helplessly as the water inches closer.

“Until an hour ago, there was no water here. Now, it has flooded the entire fields, and in another hour, it may cross the road, bringing more villages into its spate,” said Harnam Singh of Nangal.

Just two kilometers away, two machines groan as workers try to clear the clogged Sakki Nullah. “Why now?” said a farmer struggling in vain to divert water from his fields. “The government could have done this a month ago. Now that people have lost everything, they have woken up. What use is it?” he added.