Chandigarh admn starts desilting work at Patiala Ki Rao after 20 years

Besides desilting, the ₹22-lakh project comprises removal of weeds and vegetation from the water body, which is expected to be finished by February

For the first time in two decades, the UT administration on Sunday launched the work for desilting the 1k-m portion of Patiala ki Rao rivulet that falls in Chandigarh.

The desilting work is expected to be completed by February. (HT Photo)

Besides desilting, the ₹22-lakh project comprises removal of weeds and vegetation from the water body, which is expected to be finished by February. UT is also building embankments on both sides of the rivulet.

The Patiala Ki Rao is a seasonal stream that originates in Shivalik Hills, Punjab, enters Chandigarh, then Mohali and later merges into the Ghaggar river. The stream runs across Fateh Burj at Chappar Chiri in Mohali

UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “The rivulet has not been cleaned for nearly 20 years. We are now desilting nearly 1 km of the water body which is near Khuda Lohara village. The work will be completed in two months.”

“The huge amount of silt in Patiala Ki Rao causes its water level to increase drastically during monsoon, posing flooding danger in Khuda Lahora’s residential areas,” he said.

In August this year, a former panch and his wife from Tanda village in Mohali were swept away in the strong currents of Patiala Ki Rao when they were trying to cross the swollen water body with six other people. Their bodies were later found in Dhanas and Jhampur.

Earlier in July , a cab driver and a passenger, along with the car, were swept away in a flashflood in the rivulet in Tanda village. Their bodies were also recovered from near Dhanas.