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Twin Threat in Doaba: After Beas, rising Sutlej triggers evacuations
On Tuesday, the Jalandhar district administration has alerted the people residing on the banks of the Sutlej in Phillaur, Lohian, and Shahkot areas to move to safer places.
In what can be a double blow for the Doaba region, the swollen Sutlej is now threatening to flood more areas, even as the Beas continues to wreak havoc, inundating vast swathes of land in Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi.
On Tuesday, the Jalandhar district administration has alerted the people residing on the banks of the Sutlej in Phillaur, Lohian, and Shahkot areas to move to safer places.
“The Sutlej is carrying 1.64 lakh cusecs of water at 7pm. So far, all the embankments are safe, and no breach has been reported. However, the people residing in the vicinity in the low-lying areas have been asked to shift to safer places or to government relief centres,” said Jalandhar DC Himanshu Aggarwal.
The water in the Sutlej increased following the release of 1.14 lakh cusec water from the Ropar headworks into the river on Monday evening. The water increased to 79,200 cusecs at 1am to 1.64 lakh cusecs at 7pm and was touching the railway line bridge in Gidderpindi village, one of the key vulnerable points.
“We have been closely monitoring discharge of water from Ropar headworks and other inflows of water from seasonal rivulets and drains,” Aggarwal added.
In 2023, the breaches in the Sutlej river created havoc in Jalandhar’s Shahkot and Lothian area.
DC Aggarwal said the Chitti Bein, which carried the rainwater from the Kandi area and Jalandhar city, is overflowing at multiple places, inundating several places in its vicinity.
“We have deployed a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the affected areas for rescue operations. Eight workers, who were stranded in a factory at Lohara village due to the accumulation of water, were brought back safely,” he said.
Meanwhile, SBS Nagar deputy commissioner Ankurjeet Singh said the current water flow in the river had receded to 65,000 cusecs, which was nearly 1.25 lakh cusecs on Monday night.
“The Dhussi bundh (river embankment) at Bela Tajowal and Dhaingarpur in Balachaur was damaged due to heavy flow of water and torrential rain, but the same was repaired by the teams in association with villagers and social organisations within the stipulated time,” Singh said.
Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal, who visited Gidderpindi along with senior officials, said the Sutlej River has a carrying capacity of 2 lakh cusecs.
“The situation will worsen in case of heavy rains in the catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, besides the release of additional water from the Bhakra Dam,” Seechewal added.
