Living on a prayer: Bandhs breached, Tarn Taran residents carry soil bit by bit to save selves from Beas

Deputy Commissioner Rahul Sindhu said the administration is providing support for embankment work, including fuel, bags and soil, while kar sewa volunteers led by local saints are engaged in plugging weak points.

“We are providing fuel for the vehicles, we are providing bags, and we are also getting the material for making embankments. But stones cannot be arranged in the rainy season,” the DC said.

Sindhu, however, said, “So far, floodwater has not entered houses or any settlement in the district, though damage was reported in Firozepur and Kapurthala.” Sindhu said, “Relief centres have been identified, and within three hours, we can have relief centres ready. Besides, the Army can be called in if evacuation is required.”

However, Harmel Singh, who is associated with Baba Sukha Singh of Sarhaliwale and the Baba Avtar Singh Bidhi Chand sect, said, “We have only received baskets and some diesel from the administration. None of the officials is working with us. It’s just the community work and we are living on a prayer.”

Villagers alleged that after the embankment breached in 2023, they repeatedly requested the government for repair, but no work was done. Cabinet minister Laljit Singh Bhullar represents the Patti constituency.

“Had the government worked on the embankments, we would not have been required to work today,” said Pehlwan, who has also been making videos to motivate more volunteers to come to the site and support manually. “This will continue until the water recedes,” he added. Muthianwala villagers, however, lost the fight against floodwater. Videos of the moment when the bundh gave up went viral on social media.

“For 28 days, we carried soil bit by bit with our hands and tractors,” villager Harjinder Singh said, adding: “The administration only provided 250 litres of fuel through the sarpanch after the bund overflowed.”

Villagers alleged that even a breach in 1988 remains unrepaired. “They gobbled crores of rupees for the repair. If they had given Rs 5-10 lakh to strengthen the bundh, it could have been saved,” Harjinder Singh alleged.

Villagers claimed that standing paddy crops at the ripening stage on around 45 acres were submerged. “Now, they’ll give compensation and bring fuel. What will we do with that fuel when damage has been done?” a farmer said.

Villagers in Kapurthala district also made videos when their month-long hard work was undone. “We have been bearing expenses from our pockets to protect bundhs along the Beas and Sutlej rivers, with little help from the administration,” said Shaminder Singh Sandhu of Aali Kalan village.

Sandhu said religious leaders and the local community have been supporting them. “All the Babas —Baba Sukha Singh, Baba Avtar Singh, the people of the area, and local sangat supported us, but in vain,” he said.

Sandhu, who was born in 1947, said villagers had been demanding a permanent solution for decades. “We have been asking the administration since 1947 to find a solution. The river should be de-silted. A lot of sand has deposited, the silt bed has risen, lowering the surrounding land.” He explained that while farmers attempt to maintain bundhs, they cannot afford stone pitching. “It will take crores of rupees to lay stones along the banks. Only the administration can do it,” he said.

Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s team has set up a camp at the Baupur embankment in Sultanpur Lodhi. At this camp, fodder for cattle, food (langar) for people, medicines, drinking water, and all essential items are being provided.

“In addition, considering the worsening conditions in other areas, another camp has been established near Harfke village on the Makhu-Firozpur road, where the Firozpur team of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is also serving the people with dedication,” said Shamsher Singh Padhari.

Continuous rise in water level at Harike Headworks

At the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers, the Harike Headworks is witnessing a continuous rise in water level, which has turned into a major disaster for Tarn Taran and Firozpur districts. The water level was 2.44 lakh cusecs in the morning, but increased to 2.73 lakh cusecs by 4 pm, while 2.60 lakh cusecs is being released.

Along with the inflows from the Pong and Bhakra dams, the rainfall across Punjab and Himachal is also adding water to the Harike Headworks, suggesting the situation is unlikely to stabilise soon. Notably, in 2023, floods in the Harike Hatha region devastated crops and left behind deep sand deposits and pits in farmland. Two years on, people are yet to fully recover from that loss when the present disaster struck, displacing families from their homes. Due to nature’s fury and continuous rains, people are now forced to live under the open sky.