Punjab: 50-ft breach in Bhakra canal plugged

The breach, as per the officials of the irrigation department, took place around 6 am, and teams were rushed to the spot to start the repair work. The officials also sounded alert in the nearby area, with Patiala deputy commissioner Preeti Yadav also rushing to the spot.

A 50-feet breach in the Bhakra canal near the Passiana police station in Patiala caused panic in the surrounding area, with the water inundating acres of nearby fields, officials said.

Officials inspecting the spot in Patiala where the breach in the Bhakra Canal was being plugged on Saturday. (HT Photo)

The breach, as per the officials of the irrigation department, took place around 6 am, and teams were rushed to the spot to start the repair work.

The officials also sounded alert in the nearby area, with Patiala deputy commissioner Preeti Yadav also rushing to the spot.

“Plastic sandbags were used to plug the breach by evening,” the officials said.

Health minister and Patiala rural MLA Dr Balbir Singh also reached the spot and said that a colony of rodents had burrowed deep into the embankments of the canal, causing the breach.

“The experts here said that a colony of rodents had weakened the banks of the canal, which often leads to such incidents.,” the minister said.

Punjab minister for water resources Barinder Kumar Goyal also visited the spot and directed the irrigation department to carry out on-ground inspections of all the canals across the state.

“The officials have been told to conduct a complete inspection on both sides of the Bhakra Main Line and to immediately repair any weak embankments found. We had to lower water levels in Bhakra Canal for repair work earlier this month, and we released the water to its full capacity after the repair work on May 21. Water levels have been increasing since then. Yesterday, we released 91,000 cusecs of water into the canal. Today, we increased it by 11,000 cusecs,” he said.