Flooded village asks for boat,dist admn says write to us first

Mangal Singh,the sarpanch of Chandiwala village in Hussainiwala,has vacated his house along with 15 others and is now staying with villagers whose residences are away the river.

Mangal Singh,the sarpanch of Chandiwala village in Hussainiwala,has vacated his house along with 15 others and is now staying with villagers whose residences are away the river. With no connection with the main link road the only bridge had collapsed two days ago he had requested to the administration that a boat be sent to the area because their children are afraid of walking on the temporary bridge made out of wood. But to his surprise,he was told that a written request has to be submitted in the SDM office to avail the service.

I think we will be safe in the far-off houses overnight. Tomorrow morning,I will go to Ferozepur city to submit an application. The bridge via Hazara village was the only way to reach the city and the temporary structure is a risky proposition, said Mangal.

Pathana Singh,a resident,said: About 15 days ago,our boat,which we used to take tractors and motorcycles across the river,went under water due to heavy flow. It was the common boat of the village with a population of 5 lakh. Yesterday night,due to heavy pressure of water,many houses were damaged. But the administration is yet to come to our rescue.

Harnek Singh,another villager,added: As of now,we are staying with other villagers. We are operating on community kitchen. This is our routine when the water level starts rising. Apart from our crops being under water,even 10 buffaloes had drowned.

As per the rough estimate of the district administration,27,000 acres of cultivable land was under water and girdwari will be conducted once water drains out from the fields. Water pressure has taken away our sown paddy in many areas. The damage is huge, said Mangal.

The district administration,meanwhile,has five boats which are in working order. Deputy Commissioner Dr S Karuna Raju: The boats have been placed at the sensitive sites. I will look into the Chandiwala issue. The temporary bridge is safe and villagers can come to Muthianwala village to join the relief camp. Surprisingly,not even a single villager has shifted to the relief camp.

Villagers,however,maintained that were not aware of such a relief camp existing in the area. Moreover,they do not have adequate facilities to shift to the camp,they added.

Story continues below this ad

Not only Chandiwala,villagers in Alike and Habibke are also faced with a similar situation. No official has paid a visit to the area till now.

Meanwhile,the flooded areas are becoming a hot spot for the politicians to visit.

On Wednesday,senior Congress leader Parminder Pinki and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sukhpal Nannu visited some villages.

Water level in Bhakra Dam on rise

Chandigarh: The water level in Bhakra Dam has been continuously on the rise. On Wednesday,the level touched 1669.72 feet mark its capacity was 1,680 feet. According to an official spokesman,the water level on this day during the previous year was 1673.55 feet. As per data released by the irrigation department,the water level at Pong Dam has touched 1385.06 feet,while its capacity was 1,390 feet. The level on this day during the previous year was 1377.06 feet. Meanwhile,the water level at Ranjit Sagar Dam has touched 519.93 m while its capacity was 527.91 m.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram