E-Paper
49 Sirsa villages on the brink as Ghaggar swells
The nullah breach, which took place near Ding turn on Wednesday night, caused the water to reach near National Highway-9 which connects Sirsa to Fatehabad. A verbal spat also took place between the sarpanch of Narel Khera and a woman SHO after the breach.
The threat of flood looms large over 49 villages of Sirsa as water levels of Ghaggar river and Rangoi nullah increased on Thursday. Ghaggar’s water level has reached 50,000 cusecs while the Rangoi nullah has breached at six different places in the last 24 hours, prompting villagers to strengthen its embankments.
The nullah breach, which took place near Ding turn on Wednesday night, caused the water to reach near National Highway-9 which connects Sirsa to Fatehabad. A verbal spat also took place between the sarpanch of Narel Khera and a woman SHO after the breach. Agitated villagers also gheroed the Ding police station on Wednesday night, however, the matter was sorted out in a couple of hours.
Locals have been on alert and have created an embankment using sandbags to prevent further breach, which may lead to waterlogging of their crops.
Residents of five villages reached the Mattar village in Sirsa to strengthen the Ghaggar embankments to prevent a possible breach. Volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda have also reached several villages like Panihari, Farwai Kalan and Purani Chamal at Rata Khera Cyphon to help with the rescue work. They also helped in plugging the breach at various places in Sirsa.
Sirsa deputy commissioner Partha Gupta said rescue operation is underway in the district and schools and colleges have been closed till July 22 in view of the developing flood-like situation. “There is no need to panic and efforts are on to plug the breaches. Officials and villagers are working together to plug the breaches,” he added.
The flood water-level has also increased on the outskirts of Fatehabad due to which the administration has closed one side of National Highway-9 on the outskirts of the city. Army teams have reached Khan Mohammad village in Fatehabad and started cleaning the old nullahs so that flood water can flow towards the Punjab side and it could be diverted from reaching Fatehabad city.
Fatehabad MLA Dura Ram said their priority is to stop water from entering the villages and Fatehabad city.
“The flood water will be diverted towards the Punjab side. The old nullahs are being cleaned so that water can flow easily,” he added.
