Punjab rivers have capacity to hold more water,show records

Chief Engineer,Canals,Amarjit Singh Dullat said,“Sutlej alone can receive 2 lakh cusecs of water,but there has been no flood in this river between Ropar to Harike. The river is flowing well within its embankments and,moreover,we should not forget that we get floods in September and October.”

Similarly,Ravi,which flows through Gurdaspur and Amritsar can handle 2 lakh cusecs of water. Similarly,Beas can receive 80,000 cusecs of water and the river is being fed with 25,000 cusecs of water.

“We do have problem in areas where people live close to the rivers or practise agriculture on the river beds,” said Dullat.

About the Sutlej changing course,Dullat said,“This is called meandering of river and this usually takes place when the water is released in the river or the water recedes. In case of Sutlej,this meandering is also within its embankments.”

Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur Kamal Kishor Yadab said,“The 14 villages where we have asked people to leave their homes and shift to safe places,too,are located within the river embankments. The water in these areas is rising. Same is the situation with our international border fencing,which too passes through the river bed and hence there is a fear of it coming under water.”

Population of about 10,000 to 15,000 people who reside in these 14 villages have been asked to move,added the DC.