Punjab floods: Overflowing Kasur Nullah puts 31 Tarn Taran villages in deep water

Information revealed that many villagers from the low-lying areas have pitched tents and shifted there instead of going to relief camps.

The DC had visited the villages along the Nullah in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. She took stock of the situation in Manochahal, Teja Singh Wala Jhamke, Palasore, Jarmastpur and other villages.

It may be noted that this overflowing problem had occurred in 2021 as well and at that time authorities had stated that the Nullah would be strengthened and spruced up. However, nothing much has happened on the ground. The DC said that once the water level comes down in the Nullah, its walls will be strengthened. “The drainage department has been instructed about it.”

In Ferozepur, villages on the Hussainiwala headworks side have again been put on alert, though Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman maintained that the situation is under control. The affected villages in Ferozepur are Dheera Ghara, Tendiwala, Kaluwala, Fattewala, and Arifke, among others.

Devinder Singh Sekhon, a Ferozepur villager, said, “A road connecting Arifke village has been badly damaged. Now, villagers have to take a longer route via Patti. The villagers are marooned in floodwater and they are getting little help from the administration.”

Former BJP MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu also visited the flooded villages on Thursday.

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “Nearly 28 villages of the border area are affected after the fresh release of water. I visited Tendiwala village close to the zero line and found that the relief material has not reached there. There are hardly any boats in the area.” In Fazilka, 13 border villages have been put on alert.

Owing to rainfall in the hills and upstream areas, excess water has come into Sutlej river which was released via Hussainiwala and Harike headworks, said drainage department officials. However, on Thursday, the flow in these headworks had come down to 75,000 cusecs of water.

Water in the Sutlej goes towards Pakistan from Fazilka via Sulemaniki headworks (in Okra district of Pakistan), the gates of which are open.

The affected villages in Fazilka are Mohar Jamsher, Dona Nanka, Mahatam Nagar, and Teja Ruhela, among others.