Locals move out of their flooded homes with their belongings in Sanghera village near Moga’s Dharamkot, Monday. (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)Although flood waters have receded in Sutlej for more than a week, a fresh erosion of up to 40 feet took place in the river embankment near Gatta Badshah village in Harike Pattan area. The incident happened on Tuesday morning.
Confirming the development, Pawan Kapur, Superintendent Engineer, Drainage Department, said, “Water is moving towards one direction with high velocity though it is only 14,000 cusecs at this point as of now. It is thus eroding one end while it is silted at the other end. We are strengthening the bank with the help of water-proof bags filled with mud and ropes are being used to tie them. Thousands of bags have been used at the side to prevent erosion as farm area is only a few feet away.”
It needs to be mentioned that earlier similar erosion occurred at Tendiwala village close to Indo-Pak border for which a ring bundh was made so as to strengthen the embankment as up to 15 feet erosion had happened in river bed.
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However, excess water released by Pakistan was cited as the reason for erosion at Tendiwala while there were no such reason at Gatta Badshah. Few villagers even complained that many villagers have made small bundhs towards their fields so as to prevent flood water from entering their fields due to which flow of water had gone towards one side.
DC Chander Gaind visited the area along with SSP Viveksheel Soni and asked the Drainage Department to do survey of the area and demolish individual bundhs or barriers made by farmers on their own to divert the flow of river. The DC said,”After listening to the problems of villagers, I have asked Drainage Department to look into this problem and break the barriers if there are any. In addition to this, we have standby arrangements of Army and NDRF along with us in case of any emergency.”
