While its water, water everywhere for 40 villages in Ferozepur and Fazilka, canals in Abohar and Balluana, a mere 70 km away, are almost running dry, causing much misery to cotton and kinnow farmers. Although the water level at Harrike headworks saw a reduction from 2.82 lakh cusecs on Saturday to 1.67 cubic per second (cusecs) by Sunday evening, the Satluj continued to flood 20 villages in Ferozepur, along with an equal number in the neighbouring Fazilka district. Meanwhile, a different crisis unfolds in Abohar and Balluana. Here, complaints revolve around the inadequate flow of water through canals. With cotton and kinnow plants feeling the heat, Saturday morning saw around 40 farmers from Abohar scaling a nearby water tank in protest. After hours atop the water tank, the farmers descended following a meeting with Sukhjeet Singh Dhillon, executive engineer of the canal department, who promised to restore normal water supply. Expressing his dismay, Sukhmandar Singh, president of BKU Rajewal - Fazilka district, said, "More than 45 villages in Abohar and a few in Balluana constituencies are facing an acute shortage of water while the neighbouring districts are flooded. This shows the utter lack of planning by the waterworks and canal authorities. They should be able to divert excess water to these canals." The Abohar branch canal and its distributories, typically responsible for supplying canal water to Abohar and Balluana areas, are running dry because it hasn’t rained much in this area. Abohar orchardists also complain that they don’t get water because some unscrupulous elements breach the canals on the way to divert water for their fields, leaving the farmers at the tail end with little or no water. Insider information reveals that despite the opening of 27 out of 29 flood gates at Harrike headworks on both Thursday and Friday, the canals in the region experienced water shortages. The presence of silt in the river water and technical glitches in diverting water from the headworks to the canals have exacerbated the situation. Sukhmandar, who cultivates cotton and kinnow on a 30-acre farm in Jhurarkhera village in Abohar cultivating cotton and kinnow crops, fumes that the government wants farmers to diversify but does little to support the farmers who grow crops others than wheat and paddy.. Darshan Singh, another farmer from Giddranwali, echoed the sentiment, recalling the losses suffered last year due to inadequate water supply. The groundwater in Fazilka district is unsuitable for both drinking and irrigation due to its high salinity, fluoride, and other chemical content. In contrast, situated 70 km away from Abohar in the same district, a population is reluctantly relocating their belongings. Many residents like Noor Shah, Ghurka, and Guddar Bhaini have begun shifting their valuables. By Sunday evening, a total of 161 people were housed in relief camps located in Hasta Kalan, Salem Shah, and Mojam. These camps also provided sanctuary to 66 animals. Several others have sought refuge with relatives, according to Fazilka district administration authorities. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has repeatedly promised to alleviate the plight of tail end farmers through adequate water supply. However, Sukhmandar rues, "Nothing has changed; tail end farmers are enduring hardships." In Ferozepur, Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said, "We have evacuated around 2400 individuals from villages. Although water levels have receded, villages near the Sutlej riverbed remain vulnerable." Dhiman stressed the need for continued vigilance due to the yellow alert issued in Himachal Pradesh for the upcoming days. In Fazilka, a collaborative effort between the Border Security Force and the district administration resulted in the construction of a 2.2 km long earthen embankment near Mojam and Mohar Jamsher villages. This embankment safeguards 3000 acres of fields from inundation. Fazilka's Deputy Commissioner Senu Kapila Duggal explained, "The other side of this embankment faces water levels of about 7 feet, yet this structure has effectively saved the fields from flooding." Authorities evacuated nearly 500 people from villages in Fazilka. Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) Punjab staged a demonstration outside the residences of Punjab MLAs, demanding relief for affected farmers. In Dhuri, they gathered outside the party office of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, given that Dhuri is his constituency. Jagmo-han Singh Patiala from BKU Dakaunda said, "A relief package of 10,000 crores should be allocated to Punjab. The compensation of 15,000 per acre for crop loss, as announced by the Punjab Government, falls short. Many regions are grappling with flooding for the second time." In a collective show of strength, 16 farmer unions, along with Kisan Mazdoor Sangrash Committee, are slated to march toward Chandigarh on August 22 to demand: a flood relief package for farmers. Convenor of all the unions, Sarwan Singh Pandher, said, "The central government must provide a special package to the affected farners.”
