Relentless rainfall across Kapurthala and adjoining districts in Punjab has pushed the Beas River to critical levels, breaching the danger mark and threatening widespread devastation to farmland, infrastructure and homes.
The river’s flow has exceeded 1.37 lakh cusecs, a official danger threshold, leading to significant soil erosion at six separate points. This has put the vital embankment in the Mand area under grave threat, raising fears of a major breach.
Through a night of heavy rain, Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal joined residents from approximately 35 villages in a desperate effort to reinforce an advance embankment at Ahli Kalan. Their all-night vigil was an attempt to hold back the rising waters, , according to a report by The Indian Express.
Seechewal highlighted the immense stakes, warning that the destruction of paddy crops spanning 35,000-40,000 acres would be imminent if the embankment were to fail. “Sandbags are being placed at erosion sites, but the water pressure is mounting,” he said, as per The Indian Express.
Echoing this concern, local farmer Balwinder Singh, who was working at the site with his tractor, stated that the entire year’s earnings for thousands of farmers now hung in the balance. The community has deployed tractors, JCB machines and trolleys in a race against time to stop the erosion.
The situation is being exacerbated by water management decisions upstream. A senior Drainage Department officer confirmed that over 70,000 cusecs of water had been released from the Pong Dam into the Beas on Sunday. The officer warned that families already encircled by floodwaters for a fortnight could face even greater peril if the rainfall in the hills continues.
The political response to the crisis has intensified. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal toured severely affected villages, including Ahli Kalan and the Baupur barrage, even using a tractor to access marooned areas.
During his tour, Badal condemned the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government for what he described as a failure to provide relief and announced immediate party aid. This included 10,000 litres of diesel and 1,000 metres of pipes for farmers in Sultanpur Lodhi to help drain their inundated fields.
The SAD chief also demanded a substantial financial package from the Centre, arguing that Punjab’s plight deserved attention from neighbouring states it helps. “Punjab shares its waters with Haryana and Rajasthan during their time of need. But when we face devastation, no one comes to our aid. Both these states must also contribute funds to help Punjab in this crisis,” Badal said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
He called for an interim compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for crop loss and proper aid for families with damaged houses, further promising the provision of food packets, fodder, fogging machines and medical teams to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Beyond Kapurthala, the flood threat is spreading. In the Mukerian sub-division of Hoshiarpur district, floodwaters have already entered villages. With the rain showing no sign of stopping and the river’s pressure intensifying, the fate of Punjab’s Mand belt now rests on the strength of its sodden defences with livelihoods and homes of many hanging in the balance.
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