20 villages, parts of town in Mansa flooded; Ghaggar breach yet to be plugged
It may be noted that the first breach had occurred on Chandpura bundh in the Ghaggar on July 16 when three villages of Haryana were flooded.
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Sardulgarh town flooded on Wednesday. (Express Photo) The Ghaggar burst its banks on Wednesday morning following a fresh breach in the river at Mansa’s Sardulgarh on Tuesday. The overflowing water of Ghaggar river entered Sardulgarh town, flooding some parts of the town affecting houses, shops and the Mansa-Sirsa highway.
It may be noted that the first breach had occurred on Chandpura bundh in the Ghaggar on July 16 when three villages of Haryana were flooded. As the bundh breach was in Chandpura village (Fatehabad district of Haryana), sources revealed that there was a lack of coordination between Punjab and Haryana officers which delayed the process of plugging the Chandpura breach. Moreover, Haryana had imposed Section 144 in that area. By Tuesday afternoon, the coordination issue was resolved, but by the time the breach repair work was started by the Army in Chandpura, water had spread in 20 villages of Sardulgarh and Budhlada and on Wednesday morning it entered some parts of the town as well. Officials said that around 12 villages have been more affected, while the rest have some rainwater which can be drained out in a day.
Residents are staying put in their houses. The water level is 2-3 feet in many areas and lower than that in a few others.
A breach had occurred in Phus Mandi village of Sardulgarh and Rorki of Budhlada in Mansa district. Speaking to The Indian Express, Mansa Deputy Commissioner Rishipal Sidhu said, “Both breaches are being plugged. As of now, the water is gushing out from the river. The flow is even higher than what it was in 1993 floods. A channel is being made so that the water can flow back to the Ghaggar. This work in Phus Mandi and Rorki is being done by the drainage department of Punjab. Only a few residents who were living in kuccha houses in villages and town have moved out, the rest are staying on the first floor of their house. We have appealed to the people to move out, but most of them are staying put. We are monitoring them.”
Many people were seen making earthen embankments at different places to slow the flow of riverwater. In Sardulgarh market, shopkeepers complained that the water has entered their shops and they are suffering losses, so the government must help them.
“Villagers and town people are working in close coordination with each other. Villagers are bringing mud trollies in town to help us,” said Sadhu Singh, an aggrieved shopkeeper.
One godown of Food Corporation of India (FCI) in the area has also been inundated with water. However, the FCI staff couldn’t shift the godown stuff in time. “We will assess the loss later. The primary goal is to plug the breach and safety of people,” said the deputy commissioner while speaking to The Indian Express.
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