Amritsar | Updated: September 6, 2025 11:18 AM IST
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A breach in the canal near Bhedian Buzurg village. A youth drove a JCB into the canal and cut it to divert water into the Ravi river. (Express Photo by Kamaldeep Singh Brar)
The topography near the Madhopur headworks, built by the British between 1872 and 1879 to divert Ravi’s waters into the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), changed overnight recently. The manicured embankments and green fields gave way to a raw, broken landscape: roads torn apart, trees uprooted like matchsticks, and gaping breaches carved by raging water.
The panic that gripped Punjab on August 27, when two floodgates at the Madhopur headworks collapsed, was only the tip of a crisis that had already been unleashed the previous night without any warning.
At Bhedian Buzurg, the last village of Punjab on the Indo-Pak border, perched about 100 feet above the Ravi and barely a kilometre from the headworks, the locals’ confidence in its geography was shattered forever. The villagers had always believed their elevation protected them. “I am a witness to the 1988 floods. Our village didn’t get a drop then. Earlier too, our elders had never spoken about floods. We thought we were safe for life,” said Dinak Raj, president of Bhagat Mahasabha Welfare Society and a retired Water Resources Department official. “That night changed everything”.
The nightmare began on August 26, around 9 pm, when the Madhopur Barrage Left Canal ripped open near Bhedian Buzurg. Within minutes, Ravi’s waters roared through the breach, swallowing farmland and homestead. The current was so fierce it uprooted decades-old trees and flattened a house.
“We got only five minutes’ warning,” recalled Raj. “I was on an evening walk when someone from Sujanpur told me the canal might break. Before I could even alert the staff or call for machines, the breach had happened. I couldn’t reach my home. I spent the whole night on a hillside”.
As water levels rose, desperate measures followed. “A youth named Karan drove a JCB into the raging canal and cut it near Madhopur railway bridge to divert water into the Ravi,” Raj said, his eyes brimming. “He did it on the Deputy Commissioner’s order, risking his life. If he hadn’t, our village would have vanished from the map”.
Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal confirmed the call. “We had to make an intentional breach to save lives,” he said. But the relief of survival came with devastation: around 60 families lost everything. A widow with three children stood among the ruins of her house as Raj accused the UBDC authorities of negligence. “Those officers are responsible. The Chief Minister must act,” he said.
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The Left Marginal Bundh of the Madhopur Barrage had shown cracks earlier that day. “By afternoon, leaks had started from several places,” said Senior Engineer Gurpinder Singh Sandhu. “It broke in the evening.” A flash flood from the Basoli side compounded the crisis, bringing down boulders, tree trunks, and debris that jammed the gates. “Trees and trash got stuck, boulders wedged in. The gates couldn’t operate properly,” Sandhu said.
Despite 20 of the 54 gates being open when the bundh gave way, the damage was done. The UBDC corridor was flooded, and the canal carved a 400-metre scar before being forcibly connected to the Ravi. Even now, 10 days later, water continues to drain into the river. “Until the upper breach is plugged, it won’t stop,” said Sandhu.
The Madhopur section, which primarily serves power generation before feeding irrigation downstream, lies in disarray. “Irrigation won’t suffer, there’s enough water in the system,” Sandhu said. But as officials scramble to repair the bundh and plan canal restoration, the people of Bhedian Buzurg are left staring at a new reality: geography can no longer guarantee safety.
Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal last week said a private company, “Level 19 Biz Private Limited”, which had been engaged in 2024 to assess the structural strength of Madhopur headworks gates, wrongly certified them as capable of withstanding 6.25 lakh cusecs of water.
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However, the gates failed to manage even half the certified capacity, leading to their collapse and the tragic death of a department employee. Goyal said a notice has been served to the company and punitive action is being initiated.
Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts.
Core Beats & Specializations
Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.
National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups.
Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies:
1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht
"Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015.
"YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies.
"As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications.
2. Crime & National Security
"Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government's claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison.
"Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter" (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving "newly refurbished" firearms likely sent from across the border.
"15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions.
3. Political Analysis & Elections
"AAP wins 12 of 15 zones in SAD stronghold Majitha" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant shift in the 2025 rural elections where the Akali Dal lost its grip on a traditional fortress.
"Tarn Taran bypoll: woman faces threats after complaining to CM Mann about drug menace" (Nov 9, 2025): A ground report on the personal risks faced by citizens speaking out against the illegal drug trade in border villages.
"AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining" (Nov 14, 2025): Analyzing the 2025 assembly by-election results and the surprising performance of Independents backed by radical factions.
4. Human Interest
"Two couples and a baby: Punjab drug addiction tragedy has new victims" (Nov 20, 2025): A tragic investigative piece about parents selling an infant to fund their addiction.
"Kashmiri women artisans debut at Amritsar’s PITEX" (Dec 8, 2025): A feature on financial independence initiatives for rural women at the Punjab International Trade Expo.
Signature Beat
Kamaldeep is known for his nuanced understanding of border dynamics. His reporting often highlights the "drug crisis in the underprivileged localities" (like Muradpur in Tarn Taran, Nov 9, 2025), providing a voice to marginalized communities affected by addiction and administrative neglect.
X (Twitter): @kamalsbrar ... Read More
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