With the weather department predicting continued rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, no immediate respite is in sight for residents living along the swollen Beas and Sutlej rivers.
The situation is likely to worsen in the worst-affected areas in Punjab, including Tanda in Hoshiarpur district, Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district, and some villages in Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Tarn Taran districts.
As announced a day before, BBMB released more water from the Pong dam as inflow in the reservoir increased, touching 1.21 lakh cusecs briefly before subsiding.
On Wednesday, 12,000 cusecs of additional water was released in two shifts. At 5 pm, the inflow stood at 77,654 cusecs, and 65,789 cusecs was being released through spillways and turbines. Nearly 40 villages in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts, situated on the banks of the Beas, remained largely affected as 5-6 feet of water accumulated in the low-lying areas in the mand area. Presently, the Beas is carrying 1.10 lakh cusecs of water, putting further strain on the downstream areas.
On Tuesday, the Bhakra Dam authorities released 45,000 cusecs of water, following a steady rise in the reservoir level.
Hoshiarpur DC Ashika Jain said that there was no threat of flood as of now, as water was being released in a controlled manner.
{{/usCountry}}Hoshiarpur DC Ashika Jain said that there was no threat of flood as of now, as water was being released in a controlled manner.
{{/usCountry}}“Excess water is being released to maintain the reservoir level”, she said, asking people not to panic.
At the Harike Headworks, built on the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej, a surge in the water level was reported on Wednesday. As per the officials of the regulation department, the inflow stood at 95,000 cusecs on Tuesday. “Following this, 75,000 cusecs of water was released downstream,” the officials added.
Due to the release of water, the situation in the Harike Hathaṛ region worsened. Already, thousands of acres of crops in dozens of villages in the region, falling in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts, are submerged under water, with levels at some places reaching up to 10 feet.
As per officials, the embankments along the Sutlej are still intact, but if the water flow increases, then a breach could flood more areas. Meanwhile, nearly 75,000 cusecs of water was released from Hussainiwala Head, inundating more low-lying areas along the Indo-Pak border.
Water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal visited flood-affected areas in the mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi, accompanied by Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal and deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal. Goyal took a boat ride to assess the damage caused due to floods in Sangra village of the district.
During his visit, the farmers confronted Goyal and other senior officials for not making adequate arrangements to tackle the situation, besides failing to provide due compensation for their losses in the 2023 floods.
Replying to the farmers’ queries, Goyal said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann is personally monitoring relief operations and the government will provide complete compensation for crop losses and other damages suffered by the people.
“The orders have been issued for special girdawari in Sultanpur and Bholath tehsils for crop compensation. The government is fully alert and is monitoring water levels at dams and rivers around the clock,” he said.
“Presently, the dhussi and advance bundhs are completely intact and safe as there is no threat as of now of more flooding,” he said.
The flood-like situation in Ferozepur has affected nearly 64 villages, with around 8,600 acres of agricultural land in 25 villages submerged.
The villages worst affected by flooding are Alewala, Fattewala, Ashike, Mashike, Tanabagga, Bodlabagga, Nizamwala, Nihala Lavera, Dheera Ghara, Talli Gulam, Bandala, Kaleke Hithar, Masteke, Jama Megha, Bala Megha, Habibwala, Dona Telu Mal, Gandu Kilcha Uttar, Gandu Kilcha Hithar, Gatti Telu Mal, Gatti Mehmoodke Hithar, Dona Mattar, DRD Nath, and Raja Raee.
Former sarpanch Gurmej Singh, Nihala Lavera, said. “Homes are damaged, work opportunities are gone, stoves remain unlit, and there is no fodder for cattle. Survival has become extremely difficult.”
DC Deepshikha Sharma toured the affected villages and ordered officials to deliver green fodder and veterinary medicines to the affected villages.
“Embankment strengthening work was already underway, and villagers are urged to report vulnerable points to the control room. Medical camps have been set up, while relief supplies have been dispatched to Dheera Ghara, Talli Gulam, and adjoining villages,” she added.
At Hussainiwala, water entered Pakistan’s territory but after striking embankments there bounced back into India, flooding field and border fence areas in Gatti Rajoke, about 14 km from Ferozepur.
A BSF outpost near Satpal was also affected by flooding. BSF personnel have intensified both boat and foot patrols across the border.
“Whenever the river swells, Pakistan’s embankments worsen the problem. The water bounces back, crosses the fencing, and floods our homes. If it rises further, the defence drain could overflow like in 2023,” said Balbir Singh, a farmer from Gatti Rajoke.
Authorities cautioned that any further rise in the Sutlej’s water level could worsen flooding in border villages.
Ferozepur: Govt school to start online classes from today
Ferozepur: To prevent further academic loss in flood-affected areas of Ferozepur, the local administration has ordered online classes for government schools starting Thursday.
Residents of villages Dheera Ghara, Nihala Lavera, and Alewala had been repeatedly raising the issue, fearing that nearly 400 children would miss out on education. Gurlal Singh, sarpanch of Nihala Lavera, said floodwaters had blocked access to schools, forcing some students to attend classes in Arifke, Kamalwala, and Mutheyawala.
On Wednesday, DC Deepshikha Sharma toured the affected villages and assured that online classes would start from Thursday and that senior students would be accommodated in nearby schools. She also directed the district education officer (DEO) to implement the plan immediately to ensure that board-class students’ studies were not hampered.