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2 farmers booked for causing breach in Ghaggar bundh
The state drainage department authorities have identified two farmers allegedly responsible for causing a breach in Ghaggar river bundh at Mansa’s Phoos Mandi
The state drainage department authorities have identified two farmers allegedly responsible for causing a breach in Ghaggar river bundh at Mansa’s Phoos Mandi, police officials said. The accused had put underground pipes through the bundh, illegally, and it caused reverse flow leading to a breach in the embankment, the officials added.
The breach, which happened on Tuesday in Phoos Mandi, inundated Phoos Mandi, Sadhuwala and parts of Sardulgarh town in the last three days. The situation in the Sardulgarh area continues to be worrisome as the seasonal river is carrying a record volume of water.
As per as first information report (FIR) lodged at Sardulgarh police station, the accused Krishan Chand and Balkar Singh have been charged with Sections 432 (mischief by causing inundation or obstruction to public drainage) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 70 (damaging or obstructing any canal or drainage) of the Northern India Canal And Drainage Act.
Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh said efforts are on to arrest the accused as their conduct weakened the embankment that led to flooding in the region.
Sardulgarh sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Amarinder Singh Malhi said on Thursday that the accused had put underground pipes in an unauthorised manner through the bundhs, that resulted in a breach when the water level in Ghaggar started rising.
“The bundh was wide enough to drive a tractor trolley. Pipes were dug using an improvised tunnel by farmers through the embankment. Gushing river water found its way to break the bundh through the unauthorised pipes that caused havoc in the area,” added the SDM.
Admn, army steps up relief and rescue
On Thursday, the water level was reportedly flowing at a record 26 feet, five feet above the danger level, and it was touching the bridge on the National highway-703 (Mansa-Sirsa).
A resident Sanjeev Kumar said it is for the first time that Ghaggar water is flowing at this level. SDM Malhi said the water level in the seasonal river, which has a catchment zone in Shivalik hills, has not crossed 21.62 feet, but this time it has broken all previous records, with Ghaggar flowing at 26 feet since Monday.
“Experts in the state drainage department say the Chandpura bundh, located about 60km from Sardulgarh, and Sardulgarh are almost at the same level. But whereas the water level at Chandpura has receded from 19 feet to 15.6 feet, but downstream at Sardulgarh, there is hardly any change,” added the SDM.
A visit to the flooded areas by the HT team revealed that muddy water up to 10 feet deep accumulated in different places.
On Wednesday night, a breach in embankment was reported at Bhalanwara village, following which water flooded fields. Officials and workers under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), were deployed to plug breaches at other sites in Roorki and Jhanda Khurd.
A resident Avtar Singh Jatana said the drinking water supply was lying suspended in Sardulgarh town since July 17, and the residents are facing a huge problem.
SDM said packaged drinking water was being supplied to the residents along with food items and other essentials.
The Mansa district administration has called on the army and national disaster response force (NDRF) for rescue operations.
Officials said parties of the army were sent to the villages yesterday, but several residents declined to vacate their inundated houses. “In several places in Sadhuwala and Phoos Mandi, there are up to 14 people, who are unwilling to step out of their houses. However, on Thursday some of them requested help to move to safer places, and they are being shifted,” said an official engaged in the rescue operation.
Lt Col PK Rai from Engineers Regiment said about 80 people were evacuated by the army teams till 6 pm on Thursday.
“Our men are using boats to reach out to the residents, navigating through flooded streets and inundated fields. We are working in coordination with the district authorities in providing dry ration, bottled water and medicines,” Lt Col Rai said.
Major Muzeer, a doctor from the Bathinda army base and currently overseeing medical assistance in flood-hit areas, said the civil medical authorities have been apprised of the fear of an outbreak of water-borne diseases like malaria, dengue and diarrhoea.
“Currently, we are getting patients from the affected areas with complaints of mild fever, seasonal flu and skin allergies. Our teams visited the flooded areas, and the situation needs to be handled on war footing,” the army doctor said.
