Punjab News Rain breaches Samrala Canal

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10,000 acres in 24 villages under water

Warning of heavy rain in 48 hours


Chandigarh, July 5

Caught unaware of the sudden downpour and flooding in many towns and cities of the state, the Punjab Government has been woken up with a jolt by a breach in the Samrala Canal that has inundated over 10,000 acres of land in the vicinity of the tehsil headquarters. Normal life in the state has been disrupted since yesterday with the monsoon-like showers exposing the appalling drainage mechanisms.

The Meterological Department announced that the south-west monsoon had finally arrived in the northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior official of the department Chatar Singh Malik told The Tribune that the region could receive heavy rain over the next two days. Dera Bassi was among the towns that received torrential rain yesterday with the department recording 145 mm. Mohali recorded 110 mm followed by Ludhiana (66.6 mm), Ropar (66 mm), Patiala (46.8 mm) and Jalandhar (30 mm).

A huge breach in the Samrala Canal has exposed chinks in claims of the Punjab Irrigation Department about fully being prepared for floods. A little work appears to have been done for flood control, except the issue of instructions on papers. According to officials, over 10,000 acres of cultivated land had been flooded in nearly 24 villages in the Samrala, Machhiwara and Kumkalan areas.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal will personally do an aerial survey of the area and meet farmers to ascertain the damage. He has, meanwhile, ordered a special girdwari to assess the loss to farm land, houses and lives. Reports at the state headquarters said the embankments of the canal had not been fortified keeping in mind the increased pressure from rains. With farmers closing regular outlets on account of paddy sowing, the pressure further increased leading to the breach.

He has asked state Chief Secretary CS Aggarwal to personally supervise rescue and relief measures. According to an official spokesperson, the breach had been plugged. But at the same time, the state government has come to a virtual halt after Sukhbir asked the Chief Secretary to send out letters to all DCs asking them to seek help of the local police in identifying areas along the canals in their districts that are vulnerable to breaches.

Meanwhile, efforts are being made to pump out water from waterlogged villages to take marooned villagers to safe spots. Sukhbir has ordered that residents of waterlogged houses should be immediately shifted to the nearest safe location and arrangements be also made to provide green fodder to the domestic animals. Teams of the Health And Veterinary Department have been asked to ensure prevention of any disease.

Most parts still await it

Jalandhar, July 5

About 60 per cent of area in the state is still waiting for the monsoon, which is confined only to areas near the Shivalik foothills.

As per official reports, there has been no rainfall in Ferozepur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar, Jalandhar, Phagwara and Kapurthala during the past 48 hours. However, there are reports of good and heavy rainfall in the Samrala, Nabha, Rajpura, Patiala, Amloh and Morinda areas. The Nabha area recorded maximum rainfall of 145 mm, whereas Rajpura recorded 125mm.

“The Monsoon is yet to reach the Malwa region and other parts of the state. However, there has been a good rainfall in the Fatehgarh-Samrala zone”, said Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Director (Agriculture).

“I have received reports of light rain from Garhshankar, Dasuya and Ludhiana. Besides, reports of light to moderate rain have come from Samana, Patran, Mansa, Maur, Barnala, Sangrur and Rampuraphul,” he added.

The transplantation of common varieties of paddy has been going fast. Till date, it has been planted in 20 lakh hectares and about 2 lakh hectares is expected to be covered more under common varieties in the next few days. The transplantation of basmati varieties, which are also known as superfine varieties and sown late, has begun.

From the ongoing trend, it appears that the area under basmati varieties would go up to 5 lakh hectares this year in the state, which has fixed a target to cover 27 lakh hectares under paddy this year against the last year’s figure of 28.50 lakh hectares.

Apprehending shortage of power and water, the state government has appealed to farmers to reduce area under paddy by 1.50 lakh hectares and to increase area under cotton, sugarcane and maize.

“To some extent, farmers have responded to our appeal. They have increased area under cotton by 20,000 hectares and also under sugarcane crop,” said Sidhu.

However, farmers have transplanted PR-120 variety, the sowing of which also has been objected by the state government. It is also high-yielding variety and has almost all properties and characters of the PAU-201.
 
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