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Ghaggar river recedes in Sangrur, but 60-ft breach is yet to be plugged
Teams of the army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Khalsa Aid, an NGO (non-governmental organisation), besides a group of local residents were at work as the floodwater inundated the Moonak-Patran main road.
The water level of Ghaggar river in Sangrur receded by 1.5 feet on Sunday, even as the breach it developed at Moonak sub-division’s Phulad village three days back was yet to be plugged.
More than 60-foot breach, which had gone up to 150 feet on Friday, is yet to be plugged.
On Sunday evening, the water level in the river was 749.1 feet against Saturday’s 750.8 feet, 8 inches above the danger mark.
Teams of the army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Khalsa Aid, an NGO (non-governmental organisation), besides a group of local residents were at work as the floodwater inundated the Moonak-Patran main road. Also, the water entered parts of a residential area in Moonak and caused a cave-in on the outskirts of the town.
The administration officials said it is likely to be plugged on Monday.
“The water entered our house and damaged the walls. We have no place to sit or stand. No one from the administration came to meet us. We have shifted our cattle to the bedroom,” said Seema Rani, a Class 12 student from Moonak.
Karo, another resident, said, “A wall of our house collapsed, injuring my daughter-in-law. The government has failed to plug the breach and the water is entering into our houses.”
The floodwater has inundated paddy crop on 5,000-acre land at Surjan Bhaini, Salemgarh, Makorad Sahib, Bhundar Bhaini and Phulad villages besides Moonak town. The water may reach the residential areas of these village and Moonak by Monday morning.
Residents alleged that the administration failed to make proper arrangements to handle a flood-like situation.
“The water current is same where the breach took place even as the water level has come down. But our teams are trying to plug the breach. As the water level of Markanda and Tangri, tributaries of the Ghaggar, came down by 5 feet, we hope the level of water in Ghaggar will also decrease,” said deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori.
State water resources minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria inspected the breach site on Sunday. ”The Punjab government will give proper compensation to the affected farmers and residents after conducting a ‘girdawari’ (assessment) of crop damage,” the minister said.
