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Ghaggar in full fury, Sangrur’s Moonak turns into a big pool
The river is flowing 6 feet above danger mark; At least 20 villages affected, with nearly 25,000 acres of agricultural land submerged
The rising Ghaggar crossed 754 feet, inundating at least 20 villages of the Moonak sub-division and submerging nearly 25,000 acres of agricultural land. With multiple breaches in Sangrur and Patiala districts, the river is flowing 6 feet above the danger mark, aggrevating the situation in villages.
According to officials, the situation was getting serious every passing hour.
The rising water has submerged the national highway, and link roads to affected villages has been blocked, officials added.
As of now, the flood has hit 20 villages of the Moonak sub-division submerging nearly 25,000 acres of agricultural land.
The water can soon reach Moonak and Khanauri towns by Thursday evening and submerge more villages and fields in upcoming days as Ghaggar breached two more embankments in Moonak. The first breach was near Banarsi village, and the other near the Moonak-Tohana bridge.
The water entered houses at Phulad village.
The national highway connecting Patran–Khanauri–Delhi was blocked after a portion of it was submerged in water near Khanauri.
District executive engineer, drainage, Gursharan Virk, said that the water in Ghaggar had not breached this mark even during the 1993 flood. “The danger mark in the Ghaggar is 746.2 feet, but it is flowing six feet above it and has started overflowing, inundating fields and villages,” he said.
“The Ghaggar has recorded such a large volume of water in the district for the first time in its history. Even during the 1993 floods, it had not reached the 754 feet mark,” Virk said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the river breached embankments at three locations in Makored Sahib, Phulad and Mandvi village near Moonak in the district. The district administration managed to plug the 20-ft breach at Mandvi within hours,but it is still struggling to plug other breaches.
Sangrur deputy commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said, “In villages, the water has inundated only agricultural lands but has reached Moonak and Khanauri towns. The next 72 hours are very crucial if the water continues to rise. We fear that if the water doesn’t start receding, it may enter houses in towns.”
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann visited his home district and oversaw relief and rescue work.
