Remove canal obstruction, Preneet tells Haryana CM

A delegation of Samana farmers, accompanied by former Patiala MP and BJP leader Preneet Kaur, met Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, highlighting recurring floods caused by the obstruction to the flow of the Ghaggar water due to the Hansi-Butana Canal.

Meanwhile, Patiala (Rural) MLA and Health Minister Balbir Singh demanded structural changes in the siphons of the canal.

A siphon is a concrete structure in the canal through which water is taken below the drainage.

Farmers allege that the canal, which runs above the Ghaggar, acts as a wall and triggers flooding in around 150 villages every monsoon.

Since September 9, farmers from several villages have been staging a sit-in protest at Dharamaheri village in the Samana constituency over the issue. They allege that the canal, which runs above the Ghaggar river, acts as a wall and triggers flooding in around 150 villages every monsoon.

Villages, including Sassi Brahmna, Sassi Gujran, Dharmheri, Hashampur, Bhagwanpur, and Sassa, in Patiala district have been among the worst-hit this year.

“Thousands of acres of fertile farmland have gone under water, causing immense losses to farmers and residents,” said Preneet.

She urged the Haryana CM to order immediate desilting and redesign of siphons to prevent further devastation. She also said that even four villages in Haryana had been affected by the raised level of the canal.

“Responding to the delegation, CM Saini directed technical departments to examine the matter on priority and assured farmers of a site visit to work out a permanent solution," claimed Preneet.

She said unless urgent measures were undertaken, vast stretches of farmland would continue to suffer irreversible damage.

Samana SDM Harjeet Kaur had already maintained that the canal, constructed by Haryana along the state border boundary without mandatory clearances, obstructed the natural flood flow of the Ghaggar and its tributaries, posing a high risk of submergence in Punjab’s border areas.

Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria is scheduled to visit flood-hit villages along the Ghaggar river on Saturday to review the situation.

The Hansi-Butana canal, officially called the Bhakra Main Line–Hansi-Butana link canal, is a multipurpose irrigation and water-link project built by Haryana. Spanning 109 km, it was designed to divert Haryana’s share of water from the Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal near Samana in Patiala at the Punjab-Haryana border.