Punjab: Beas in spate, 30,000 acres of fields flooded in Kapurthala

Nearly 8,000 people from 14 worst-hit villages have been evacuated to safer places upstream on motor boats after a sudden rise in water level of river

The swollen Beas river on Tuesday inundated low-lying areas in the mand area of Kapurthala district with 15-20 feet of water accumulating in the paddy fields.

Villagers in Sultanpur Lodhi’s Baupur Jadid village shifting their livestock to safer locations. (HT photo)

The mand area, which is located between the Beas and Dhussi bundh, the main embankment managed by the state government, remained disconnected from the mainland.

At present, 1.55 lakh cusecs of water is flowing in the Beas due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh.

On Tuesday morning, the advance embankment at Aahli Kalan village got breached, inundating nearly 30,000 acres of paddy crop. The villagers were strengthening this embankment for the past 10 days as it acted as a shield to save the farmland of 30 villages, which hardly have any population.

“The breach was strategically built by the villagers to save their land from the gushing water of the Beas. The situation has now turned grim as the farmers fear loss to the paddy crop,” said Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal.

Earlier, nearly 8,000 people from 14 worst-affected villages were evacuated to safer places upstream on motor boats due to the sudden increase in the water level in the Beas.

According to the Bhakra Beas Management Board, Pong Dam is brimming at a record high of 1,388.22 feet, just one feet below the dam’s maximum capacity of 1,390 feet.

Built on the Beas, the Pong Dam’s catchment areas include Kangra, Mandi, and Kullu districts in Himachal Pradesh, which have witnessed heavy rainfall and cloudbursts in the past week. Pong reservoir recorded an inflow of 1.71 lakh cusecs from the catchment areas.

The district administration has intensified evacuation efforts, relocating residents from flood-affected villages to safer locations on a war footing.

“As many as 45 individuals, primarily women and children, were safely evacuated in a single day from villages, including Baupur Jadid, Baupur Kadim, Sangra, Rampur Gora, Mand Bhim Kadim, Mand Bandhu Jadid, and Muhammadabad villages,” Kapurthala deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal said.

Drainage department’s executive engineer (XEN) Sartaj Singh Randhawa, who accompanied the DC, confirmed the embankments’ safety and outlined the department’s proactive measures. “As a precautionary step, we are strengthening areas where the river water is impacting the embankments.”

“Round-the-clock efforts are underway, including placing sand-filled bags near Peerewal and Kishansingh Wala to reinforce vulnerable sections,” he said. Additionally, crates filled with soil bags are being deployed to prevent erosion and enhance embankment resilience. The department is also fortifying a temporary advanced embankment at Chak Patti Baloo Bahadur village.

Body of man swept away in rivulet found

Hoshiarpur

The body of a 32-year-old man, who was swept away in the Chhauni Kalan seasonal river on Monday evening, has been recovered, police said.

Station house officer of sadar police station, sub-inspector Madan Lal, said the body of Surmudeen, a resident of Chhauni Kalan, was found on Tuesday.

Surmudeen, who belonged to the Gujjar community and earned his livelihood by selling milk, had gone to deliver milk to a customer on Monday evening.

While returning home, he was swept away while crossing the rivulet amid strong water currents, police said. His body was recovered a short distance downstream on Tuesday morning and has been sent to the Civil Hospital in Hoshiarpur for post-mortem examination, they added.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the increasing water levels in the Pong Dam, the BBMB has made announcements in the villages located downstream to remain extra cautious and vigilant, besides appealing to the villagers to shift their children, women, and livestock to safer places.

Deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said that the administration is closely monitoring the water levels in the Pong Dam.

“In the Mukerian area, three breaches have been reported in Mehtabpur, Motla, and Haler Janardhan villages due to sudden inflow of water in the Chakki river,” Jain said.