Sutlej in spate, crops damaged in Fazilka

Fazilka, July 17

The water level has risen in the Sutlej due the first spell of monsoon showers, inundating the standing crop on hundreds of acres in border villages of the district.

Agriculture fields in border villages of Walleshah Hithar, Jhangar Bhaini, Retewali Bhaini, Dhani Sadda Singh, Dona Nanka, Mahatam Nagar and Teja Rohela — all situated near the International Border — are waterlogged.

LOSS YET TO BE ASCERTAINED

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The exact area under water and the crop loss can’t be assessed at present. Meanwhile, pumps are being used to drain out rainwater at several places and the situation will improve in a couple of days. Himanshu Aggarwal, DC

The sarpanch of Retweli Bhaini village, Gurmeet Singh, said according to an estimate, the standing crops of cotton, paddy, green fodder and moong on around 800 acres had been inundated.

After visiting some of the affected villages — Chak Rakh Amir, Moranwala, Daroga, Thatera and Bhuramdinwala — today, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said the Sutlej had overflowed at some places earlier due to the release of more water from the upstream areas and shutting of the flood gates by Pakistan on its side.

He further said on the demand of the district administration, officials of the BSF and Pakistan Rangers held a meeting, resulting in the opening of flood gates by the neighbouring country today.

“The water has started receding now,” the Deputy Commissioner claimed.

Demanding compensation for the damaged crops after conducting a special girdawari, Balkar Singh, a farmer, said: “The rise in water level has caused unrest and anxiety among the villagers residing on the banks of the river.”

1L acres inundated in Malwa

• Incessant rains in the Malwa region during the past two days have damaged the paddy crop on around 1 lakh acres
• With the drainage system not being cleared on time, the fields have been flooded. Meanwhile, farmers of some villages on Sunday blocked the Fazilka-Ferozepur road to protest the waterlogging in fields. tns