Ropar officials flooded with distress calls as bundhs weaken

Drainage Department officials here have been flooded with distress calls from villages across the district as the weakening of earthen dykes along the Sutlej at several places has stoked worries of multiple breaches.

Meanwhile, department officials have asked people not to panic, downplaying fears of an imminent  danger. The officials attributed the phenomenon to the release of immense pressure exerted by swollen water bodies on to the embankments, making them prone to collapse due to the destabilisation of the soil.

An official said the pressure exerted by the flowing water keeps the shape of the embankments intact.

A sudden drop in pressure leaves behind the waterlogged soil that contracts and expands, weakening the earthen structures. However, several residents have complained to the department that the weakening of the embankments had been noticed at several places along the river from Kiratpur Sahib to Nawanshahr, a stretch of around 70 km.

“We are receiving repeated calls to repair the structures as quickly as possible,” an official source told The Tribune. Tushar Goyal, Executive Engineer, Drainage, Ropar, downplayed fears of immediate danger.

“The damage to earthen bundhs is a normal phenomenon after the water level reduces in rivers. Since the discharge in the Sutlej has decreased, there is no immediate risk of the river breaching its embankments in Ropar district,” he said.

“However, we are working to contain the damage swiftly,” he added. The impact has not been confined to the Sutlej embankments alone. Sources said the canals drawing water from the river had also suffered damage.

The impact has not been confined to the Sutlej embankments alone. Sources said the canals drawing water from the river had also suffered considerable damage.

The Nangal Hydel Canal, maintained by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), has reported breaches or erosion at nearly a dozen sites.

Similarly, the Anandpur Sahib Hydel Canal, managed by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), has sustained damage at multiple points during monsoon.

Engineers attributed the problem to the same buoyancy effect.

“This is not unusual, but the scale this season has been large because of the heavy monsoon discharge followed by rapid reduction,” said an official familiar with canal operations.

Officials assured that repair works are being undertaken on a priority basis to stabilise the bundhs and canal banks before the next release of water.