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Seven years, three floods: Farmers in mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi on edge
Punjab government orders special girdawari in flood-affected areas which will start once water recedes
The flooding in the mand (low-lying) area in Sultanpur Lodhi has revived grim memories of 2019 and 2023 for the villagers, when the swollen Beas caused similar devastation, submerging farmland and destroying standing crops. This marks the third flood in seven years.
Nearly 4,500 acres of agricultural land in the worst-affected 14 villages of Sultanpur Lodhi, including Sangra, Mand Mubarakpur, Muhammadabad, Baupur Kadim, Baupur Jadid, Rampur Gura, Mand Bandu Jadid, Bhaini Karim Baksh, and Bhaini Bahadur, have been submerged under water for the past two weeks.
Paddy fields have remained submerged under 5-6 feet of water for the past 10 days.
With roads also submerged in water, people are relying on boats to ferry essentials, including food, drinking water, and fodder for livestock.
With Beas still in spate after incessant rain in catchment areas, there is little hope that floodwater will recede anytime soon. Although the government has ordered special girdawari for the flood-affected areas, the exact losses can only be calculated once the water recedes. On Thursday, 65,000 cusecs of water were released from Pong Dam through turbines and spill gates. The current inflow stood at 57,000 cusecs.
Presently, the Beas is carrying 1.10 lakh cusecs of water, putting further strain on the downstream areas.
Bakshish Singh, 35, of Rampur Gura, said he and his family had no option but to stay for the sake of their livestock.
“It was impossible to shift 10 buffalo out of the marooned area; therefore, we decided to stay back. We have been using boats to get dry fodder for the livestock, while the administration, with the help of social organisation, has been providing rations and drinking water at our doorstep,” Bakshish said.
He added that his whole paddy crop sown in over seven acres of land has rotted under water.
Raman Kaur (40), a resident of Baupur Mand village, said the portion of her house collapsed due to strong currents of the river.
“We have moved out to a safer place initially, but seeing no respite, we decided to come back. We have moved to the first floor of the house for our safety. We could have moved out, but who would take care of our livestock?” Kaur said.
Gurbinder Singh, a resident of Sangra village, said in 2023 too they faced a similar situation. “The administration should have alerted the people living in the mand areas before releasing the water from the dam,” he said.
Revenue, rehabilitation, and disaster management minister Hardeep Singh Mundian visited the flood-affected areas in Sultanpur Lodhi on Thursday and said,
“The government has initiated the compensation process for crop losses. Deputy commissioners have been instructed to complete the special girdawari as soon as water levels recede and submit their reports, so that appropriate compensation can be provided to affected people,” Mundian said, who was accompanied by Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh.
Mundian said that ₹2 crore has been released for relief operations in Kapurthala district for the distribution of rations, drinking water, medicines, and extending livestock healthcare services.
Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh also visited Kapurthala civil hospital to oversee medical arrangements and prevent diseases in the flood-affected areas.
He said that special medical teams have been deployed in the flood-affected areas to prevent dengue, diarrhea, and chikungunya.
The minister also ordered an increase in the number of reserved beds at civil hospitals in Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi to handle any emergency situation.
