Amid the havoc of heavy rains, continuous release of water from Bhakra Dam has further swollen the Sutlej and Beas, pushing the inflow at Harike Headworks, located at the confluence of the two rivers, past the 3 lakh cusecs mark on Tuesday.
On Monday, a total of 1.14 lakh cusecs of water was released from Bhakra Dam. By Tuesday evening, as the discharge moved down the Sutlej via Ropar Headworks, the inflow at Harike touched 3,01,221 cusecs at 4 pm, of which 2,84,350 cusecs was released downstream. Despite the discharge, by 10 pm, the inflow rose further to 3.18 lakh cusecs.
This comes under High Flood (HF) status, said officials, triggering further panic among villages located downstream in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka district, where thousands of acres of farmland are already submerged under floodwater.
Officials warned that the levels could rise further overnight as more water from the Sutlej was expected.
In the border area of Khemkaran in Tarn Taran, the water level beyond the Dhusi Bandh at Mahandipur village is continuously rising due to the increasing flow at Harike Headworks.
Pakistan’s Sahijra town and nearby villages across the border have also come under water. The embankment of the Sahijra Drain gave way, causing water to flow directly towards the bandh at Mahindipur village. Residents of border villages Mehandipur and Miawala are working day and night to hold back the rising waters.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan’s Sahijra town and nearby villages across the border have also come under water. The embankment of the Sahijra Drain gave way, causing water to flow directly towards the bandh at Mahindipur village. Residents of border villages Mehandipur and Miawala are working day and night to hold back the rising waters.
{{/usCountry}}Ranjit Sagar Dam’s level nearing danger mark
Meanwhile, the water at Ranjit Sagar Dam also climbed to 524 metres, just three metres short of its permissible 527-metre level. Authorities opened three floodgates, releasing 42,000 cusecs into the Ravi, worsening the flood situation in already marooned villages of Gurdaspur and Amritsar.
Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flagging the unprecedented devastation in Punjab, particularly the border areas.
“Continuous torrential rains and fast water from the mountains have submerged the low-lying areas, leaving thousands of families homeless and destroying the standing crops of farmers,” he said, expressing displeasure that his earlier appeals had been ignored.
12-year-old girl dies in Amritsar roof collapse
A 12-year-old girl was killed and her mother and sister were injured after the roof of their house collapsed amid heavy rainfall at Sathiala village, falling under Amritsar district’s Baba Bakala sub-division on Tuesday.
The deceased, Ramanjit Kaur, was present in the house with her family, when the roof suddenly gave way, said her father Rajwinder Singh. The impact of the crash killed Ramanjit on the spot, while his wife and another daughter were injured. The injured family members were hospitalised.
Local MLA Dalbir Singh Tong visited the hospital to check on the injured. He assured all possible financial assistance to the family from the state government.