Water hyacinth, an aquatic weed, often found in still water, has taken root in the fields in Shahkot. (Express photo)Three weeks after the Sutlej flood, the villages in Jalandhar are now dealing with left by the receding water in its wake — a deluge of dry ration that hasn’t stopped flowing in since August 18.
Several sarpanches have urged the district administration to regulate the free flow of dry ration from social outfits, NGOs from across state, demanded that relief material should be supplied as per need.
Majority villagers said that they had received almost a year’s dry ration and it was still coming from all over Punjab daily.
The dry ration is not only being collected by the flood hit people, but also people of the nearby villages where floods had done no damage.
“No doubt people needs dry ration in the wake up of their damaged crops, but in our village some people have even collected the dry ration for the entire year and still they are on a collecting spree….Now, government should have a system involving village panchayat to distribute dry ration further,” said Sarpanch Phuman Singh of Mandi Chohlian villages, adding that people are fighting with each other for collecting more ration whenever any such supply comes to their village.
A former sarpanch in Giddarpindi said: “Even I raised the matter in my village where people have filled small rooms from floor to roof with ration as improper storage of food items would result in its rotting and then these people will throw the rotten things in village roads itself.”
A panchayat member in Gatta Mandi Kaasu said: “District administration should ask these social organisations and NGOs to hold on for some time and they can supply some ration after two three months to the needy people…”
Breaches yet to be plugged
Meanwhile, several breaches in the Sutlek embankments are yet to be plugged. Also, hyacinth has gripped agricultural and river land in few villages, with a rising threat of waterlogging.
There were 11 breaches in Sutlej river, including four in Chitti Bein — a rivulet which is also flows into river, out of which only couple of breaches could be plugged completely while work on nearly 3-4 is going on and remaining all are yet to be touched by the administration. Nearly 50 villages of Shahkot area were affected badly due to floods.
The breaches in Shahkot Assembly segment took place in Jania (over 500 feet), Gatta Mnadi Kaasu , Mandala, Mandala Chhanna, Khalowal, two breaches in Padiana village, Nall village and two breaches in Chak Wadala village among others. All these breaches are between 150 feet to 400 feet wide.
Till date, the breach of Jania village has not been plugged completely. In Khalowala and Nall village repair have been done, but here too the strengthening work is going on.
Drainage Department could reach the breaches in Chak Wadala, Mandala and in Dhakka colony in Gatta Mandi Kaasu due to still water standing in these places.
Also the farmers in few flood ravaged villages have been facing the problem of ‘hyacinth’ which had come in the floods and now gripping their fields.
A farmer from Gatta Mandi Kaasu, Amarjit Singh, said: “To clear hyacinth from the fields is quite a task as it creates water-logging.”
