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Ludhiana: Villagers take charge as rising Sutlej levels spark flood fears
The local residents have also appealed to the district administration to remain alert and depute teams in advance to monitor the situation regularly
As the water level in the Sutlej river continues to rise steadily, residents of Garhi Fazal, Kannaur, and nearby villages have started making preparations on their own to avoid any untoward incident. Concerned over the increasing water flow, the villagers have begun placing sandbags along the dhusi bundh (earthen embankment) to strengthen weak spots and prevent possible breaches.
Compounding their concerns, the water discharge in river Sutlej near Phillaur has shown a steady rise as in recent this week, water level has seen 20,000 cusecs. Although the water level is still well below the danger mark, the continuous increase has made villagers wary.
Reportedly, earlier this week, the water discharge in river Sutlej has risen up to the mark of more than 20,000 cusecs.
However, the villagers caution has further deepened after the recent flooding of the Beas river in Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi areas, where overflowing water has breached temporary embankments and submerged nearly 20 villages and over 4,000-acre farmland, forcing villagers to seek emergency help. Residents fear that even a moderate surge in Sutlej flow could strain the embankments here in a similar way.
In the past, sudden release of water from the upstream side has led to overflow in this area, flooding agricultural fields and causing damage to property, villagers added.
“In 2023, we faced heavy losses due to flooding. This time, we are not taking any chances. The ‘bundh’ is a crucial protection line for our villages. That is why we have taken the lead and started placing sandbags wherever we found weak patches,” said Harbans Singh, a resident of Garhi Fazal village.
The local residents have also appealed to the district administration to remain alert and depute teams in advance to monitor the situation regularly. They urged the authorities to provide additional sandbags, flood relief material, and restore the condition of approach roads leading to the embankment.
Notably, sarpanchs of affected villages of 2023 flood have also come together and sent a written request to the district flood control cell, seeking a joint inspection of vulnerable spots in the coming days.
Meanwhile, agriculture fields near the riverbanks are already waterlogged in some areas due to minor seepage from the bundh. Farmers have expressed concern over damage to standing paddy crops if the situation worsens.
“We are doing what we can with our limited resources. But the administration must step in quickly. Timely action can save both our homes and crops,” said Jarnail Singh, a farmer from Kannaur village.
When contacted, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain said, “Administration is already alert and monitoring the situation 24x7. I am in regular touch with the irrigation department. As per them, discharge is fine, there is absolutely no need to panic. Water level is currently running at 10,000 cusecs, which is manageable. I have personally visited the site and checked the flood protection works.”
On spot teams under JE and SDO have been deputed for monitoring the vulnerable stretches. Additionally, vulnerability mapping of the area has also been done in this regard, Jain added.
