Flood waters enter Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan as Ravi overflows
The flood situation is also critical on the Indian side near Dera Baba Nanak. Breaches in the Dhussi bandh have led to flooding of surrounding villages from the overflowing Ravi River.
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Visuals show the entire premises of the historic gurdwara, including the central area, submerged by around 10 feet of floodwater. (Photo: Facebook@Travel with Waqas Haider)The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, and the corresponding corridor have been affected by flooding caused by the overflowing Ravi River. The water level in the Ravi has risen following the excess release of water from the Ranjit Sagar Dam.
Visuals shared by the Pakistani traveller account Travel with Waqas Haider showed the entire premises of the historic gurdwara, including the central area, submerged by around 10 feet of floodwater.
“Flooding across parts of the Ravi has reached the inner sanctum of the gurdwara, with water reportedly standing four, five or even six feet high inside,” Inderjit Singh, an employee at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, told The Indian Express on Wednesday.
“But by God’s grace, the Guru Granth Sahib is installed on the first floor and all the Guru’s sacred Birs are safe and being cared for,” he said, adding that volunteers have been relocated to the guest house.
“Access is now cut off. Water is flowing over the road as well, so there’s no way to reach the upper floors except by boat,” Singh said.
Langar supplies are being stockpiled for rooftop delivery as soon as conditions allow, he said.
The Ravi is situated on the border between India and Pakistan at Dera Baba Nanak, and the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located across the river. The 4-km-long Kartarpur Sahib Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, believed to be the final resting place of Guru Nanak, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.
In July 2023, the corridor was closed for three days after the Ravi’s rising water inundated the Zero Line at Dera Baba Nanak. However, at that time, water had not entered the Gurdwara itself.
The flood situation is also critical on the Indian side near Dera Baba Nanak. Breaches in the Dhussi bandh (earthen embankments) have led to flooding of surrounding villages from the overflowing Ravi River.
Dera Baba Nanak town lies on a higher plane, which is preventing water from entering the localities. However, the town’s connection with the rest of Punjab has been cut off.
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