Construction on Kaushalya floodplain far from safe

The incessant rains in the last week of September filled up not only the Kaushalya dam reservoir up to the danger mark but also flooded other rivers flowing through the area. As the water crossed the dangerous level of 478 metre in the dam’s reservoir on September 24, the sluice gates were opened to let it flow.

Downstream, the water destroyed several hutments and parts of national highway (NH-22). Significantly, only 1500 cusec of water was released from the dam, while its full discharge capacity is more than double at 32,400 cusec.

The irrigation department officials attributed the flooding to the swollen Jhajjara, a tributary of Kaushalya.

Rakesh Kumar Chopra, executive engineer, irrigation department, said, “Around 4000 cusec of water from Jhajjara river entered Kaushalya near Surajpur, causing the swelling of Kaushalya river upstream.”

In a letter written to the Irrigation Department, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) states that the embankments created on the left side of the river changed its natural flow, leading to damage on the right bank.

Living in fear

“It was around 8 pm when the land beneath our feet gave away,” recounts Kamlesh, a resident of Rampur Seuri, whose house was swept away in the flood waters.

The irrigation department started to release water from the dam at 6 pm on the left bank along the DLF Valley, but by 8 pm flood waters changed course and hit the right bank.

“We and our neighbours immediately rushed out leaving behind all our belongings,” says Guddu Devi, a resident of the colony. Nine houses were completely swept away. Several more were damaged.

Not far from Rampur Seuri, around half a kilometre on the other side of the bank, downstream in the Amravati Enclave, the residents are a worried lot. The entire frontage of this 125-acre project is on the banks of the Kaushalya river.

“The protection walls are missing in our colony. The river keeps cutting the banks. Around an acre of an institutional site collapsed as the river eroded the ground beneath it,” says Pawn Kumar, president of Amravati Flats Residents Welfare Association.

Another resident of the Enclave and president of Amravati Plots Residents Welfare Association, Shamsher Sharma, said, “Lives of more than 5000 people and property worth crores is on the line as we are living so near the dam, where the river has no protection walls.”

Sharma adds “We didn’t get any warning before the water was released.” The NHAI letter to irrigation department, also claims the same. But, the irrigation department officials contended that they blew the siren at the dam around an hour before the waters were released and the district administration was also informed.

The houses at the labour colony in Rampur Siyudi village that were swept away by water from Kaushalaya dam. (HT Photo)

Urbanising the floodplains

Located in the Pinjore-Kalka urban complex, Kaushalya dam is surrounded by a mix of unauthorised and approved colonies, most of which are downstream of the dam.

The area at the foothills of the Shivalik is crisscrossed by a number of seasonal rivulets and three rivers. In addition to the Kaushalya river, two other rivers–Jhajjara and Ghaggaar– flow here.

On the left bank of the Kaushalya river, downstream the dam in Sectors 2, 3, and 4 of the urban complex there are township projects like DLF Valley, Amravati and Ireo Fiveriver. The NH-22 (Panchkula-Shimla) and small colonies like Rampur Seuri are on the right side of the river.

These sectors are in the middle of the floodplains of Kaushalya-Jhajjara-Ghaggar river systems.

Experts warn that building on the floodplains or constructing downstream dams is fraught with danger. “The damage and loss of property along the Kaushalya river and its tributary Jhajjara is the result of encroachments and tinkering with the natural course and floodable zone for urban development,” said MS Aujla, former director, town planning local government, Punjab.

Suggesting that ecologically, such activity must be curbed, Prof Siby John, professor of environmental engineering, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, said, “When the floodplains and drainage system of a r iver are disturbed, the river also changes. In the long run, a river always reclaims its land. When a dam is constructed, the river dies for all practical purposes as water is stored in the reservoir. For people, it is cheap land for construction. But they should learn from the recent devastation in Kerala floods.”

For builders, its the usual blame game

As per a decision taken on April 26, 2017, in a meeting chaired by Haryana housing minister, “the respective developer that is, DLF Homes Pvt Ltd (DLF Valley), Magnolia Propbuild Pvt Ltd (Ireo Fiveriver) and Amarnath Aggarwal Investment Pvt Ltd (Amravati Enclave) would carry out the river protection works as suggested by IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi in their respective jurisdiction on both banks of the Kaushalya river”.

But, after one and half years, except for a minor area along the DLF Valley, there are no protection walls.

“In a letter dated January 25, 2018, the department asked the Amravati developers to start construction of the protection wall immediately. The latest reminder was sent on September 28,” said Chopra.

Refuting these claims, Hargobind Goyal, director, Amarnath Aggarwal Investment, said, “We were given permission for protection wall only on some part of the project, and we are about to start working on it. For the rest, we are still awaiting approval from the irrigation department.”

The Floodplains

•Three rivers are flowing in the area – Kaushalya, Jhajjara, and Ghaggar. Jhajjara river meets the Kaushalya river downstream the Kaushalya dam, and both flow into Ghaggar near the south-end of the Amravati Enclave near the Chandimandir-Burj Kotia light point.

•Each river has its own distinctive floodplain (an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river and subject to flooding)

•Both legal and illegal habitation has taken place on the banks of the Kaushalya river as well as on reclaimed land from the river.

•The entire frontage of the Amravati Enclave is on or near the Kaushalya river banks. Similarly, large tracts of the DLF Valley are on the river banks.

First Published: Oct 04, 2018 11:20 IST