MLA booked for breaking Bundh on Kali Bein in Punjab’s Kapurthala

Rana Inder Partap Singh, an independent MLA, has been booked for breaking a bundh on a rivulet in Punjab, India, in an attempt to control flooding.

An independent MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi, Rana Inder Partap Singh has been booked for breaking bundh on Kali holy Bein, a rivulet, near Kapurthala’s Bharoana village.

One of the two breaches in Sutlej’s Dhussi Bundh has been plugged in Kapurthala district (HT Photo)

With 14 villages of Sultanpur Lodhi sub-division remaining flooded, the Singh has intentionally breached Bundh on the Bein, which further flows into Sutlej river. The MLA claimed that the Bundh was broken with an aim to rotate the flow of accumulated water back into the Sutlej river through Kali Bein as the water level in the Sutlej river has already receded. The case has been registered against Rana and his 100 supporters under Section 70 of Northern India Canal and Drainage Act and Section 277 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir) and Section 430 (mischief by injury to works of irrigation or by wrongfully diverting water) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of the executive engineer of drainage department at Kabirpur police station. “We are getting positive results as the water has already receded 2-feet overnight from the villages that are presently flooded and under deep water. We will be able to control the floods within two days by draining out the water from the affected villages,”the MLA said.

He added that he was continuously pressing upon the administration to break the bundh of its own but his repeated pleas have fallen on deaf ears following which he with the help of local villagers dismantled the Bundh. Meanwhile, the drainage department has filed a written complaint against the MLA for breaking the Dhussi Bundh without taking permission.

Kapurthala deputy commissioner captain Karnail Singh said though the water has started flowing downstream into the Sutlej river but dismantling the part of Bundh is illegal. “The MLA has not taken any permission from district administration or the drainage department due to which the latter has moved a written complaint with the police for taking required action against him under the court of law,” the DC said. Meanwhile, an official of drainage department said the breakage of the Bundh Bharaona village is a blunder and can cause havoc in coming days as the Meteorological department has already forecast heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Sutlej river. “It will brew more trouble if the water will be released from Bhakra dam into the Sutlej river in coming days as it won’t be possible to plug the breach in two or three days,” an official said.

One of the two breaches in Sutlej’s Dhussi Bundh plugged

A 325ft wide breach on Dhussi Bundh was on Saturday plugged after four days of day and night operation. As many as 34 villages of Jalandhar district and 14 of Kapurthala district were flooded with Sutlej river water following 3-5 ft breach in Mandala Channa village and 500 meter breach at Gata Mandi Kasu village. Rajya Sabha member Parliament Balbir Singh Seechewal said the credit goes to the kar sewaks gathered from different parts of the state to help the people of affected villages in this hour of crisis. “We have worked day and night to bridge the breach with the help of iron grills and sand sacks. Now the work on the construction of broken part of the Bundh at Mandala Channa village will be completed soon,” Seechewal said. He added that it is important to build the broken Bundh at the earliest so that it could face the strong currents of Sutlej in case of such situations in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Jalandhar deputy commissioner Vishesh Sarangal said the work on plugging the breach at Gata Mandi Kasu breach began on Friday afternoon but the water level has not receded around the Bundh making it difficult for the technical team. “We have to wait for the water level to recede in order to expedite the work of plugging the breach which will take another 10-12 days. We are running against the time therefore we are taking all the assistance from the team of technical experts,” the DC said.

Meanwhile, Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh revised functioning of health department team working in flood-affected areas in Jalandhar and Kapurthala district.