Army personnel carry out repair work at Tendiwala village in Ferozepur. Gurmeet SinghThe Ferozepur district administration has been put on high alert after portion of an embankment of Sutlej river was washed away following heavy flow of water in a creek coming from Pakistan into Indian territory. The natural creek, which is 30-ft deep, is known as Kasur Nallah. The embankment has been eroded just before the creek merges with the Sutlej. The Chief Minister Sunday directed the the Ferozepur DC to keep NDRF teams on standby to meet any exigency. Apart from NDRF, Army teams are also on guard.
“Pakistan has released water in huge quantity which caused damage to the embankment in Tendiwala village, and there is danger of floods in some villages…Being on guard, the district administration has announced evacuation in most sensitive villages along the Sutlej river as a precautionary step besides deploying various teams of the health department, food and civil supplies department and others,” a Punjab government spokesperson said.
Villagers along with drainage department officials on Sunday created a cross-bundh on ditch channel made by Army along the Sutlej river which is 100 feet wide. This is to ensure that only fields get flooded and homes in the villages under threat escape the damage.
Ferozepur DC Chander Gaind said,”Tendiwala is the last village on Pakistan border where Pakistan has released excess water via a creek. Sutlej water first goes to Pakistan side and later comes back to India. Pak tanneries built in Kasur district release their polluted water in this creek, we have asked villagers of Tendiwala and adjoining villages which are nearly 10 in number to evacuate as a precautionary measure.” However, only few villagers are willing to leave their homes despite the administration’s advice.
“I have never seen the creek full till the brim in the past few years. Water is coming with high velocity which is eroding the embankments of Sutlej at Tendiwala village. Our teams are on job to contain the damage. Our repair work is going on since Saturday,” said Superintending Engineer, Drainage Department, Pawan Kapur told The Indian Express.
As of now, Sutlej has 57,000 cusecs water, which is less than the danger mark. This is the reason that authorities have pointed a direct finger at Pakistan for releasing more water in Kasur Nallah. Kasur district of Pakistan is located at a distance of about 17 km from Hussainiwala border of Ferozepur and they have over 300 units of leather industry which often release water in Sutlej river.
Fazilka DC Manpreet Chhatwal blamed Pakistan for flooding in villages there. He said, “A total of 18 villages of our district are affected due to floods and their geographical location is the reason for floods as they are surrounded by Pakistan from three sides, hence there is little scope of water to escape out. However, water is in fields only. These villages are vulnerable to floods.”
Chhatwal added,”Pollution control department has also taken water samples of water coming from Pakistan and sent to lab for testing so as to ascertain as which pollutants are coming in the water.”
Damage due to water released by Pak: Minister
Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, who is MLA from Guru Har Sahai in Ferozepur district, visited the damaged area of Sutlej in Tendiwala. Sodhi gave Rs 15,000 on the spot to villagers and asked DC to inquire from villagers if any more money was to be paid to them. Sodhi said,”This bandh has been damaged due to excess water being released from a creek coming from Pakistan side due to which our men are on job to repair it.”
Tendiwala area which falls in the area of Congress MLA Parminder Pinki. When contacted, Pinki said: “Minister should have given some money from his discretionary fund of Rs 1.5 crore. Minister should not just go for a photo session.”
