Ferozepur September 15:
The residents of various villages located close to the Sutlej near Hussainiwala joint checkpost (JCP) suffered huge losses for the second time as standing paddy, fodder and other crops came under knee-deep water after the river overflowed here about two days ago.
Earlier, extended areas of Jallo Ke, Tindi Wala, Chandi wala and Bhanewala villages came under five or six feet deep water on August 25 when the Sutlej overflowed near Jallo Ke village. Though the state government is yet to measure the quantum of loss suffered by the residents of these villages, the residents claimed that crops in about 2,000 acres of land had suffered absolute loss.
Interestingly, the Punjab government is yet to give compensation to those farmers and residents, whose crops were damaged when the gushing Sutlej water entered their fields and dwellings on August 25. “We are doubly cursed as we have faced two low floods in quick succession. The state government has added to our woes by not paying any compensation,” said Balbir Singh, one of the residents of the area.
Chinder Pal Singh Jalloke, a senior state BJP leader, said no district official had visited them so far to inquire about their plight despite the fact that a number of villages were hit by floods. He alleged that all officials were busy attending the Sangat Darshan programme of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held in the Guru Har Sahai area.
Official sources said the situation might turn ugly as more than 33,000 cusecs of water had been released from Pong Dam today against 18,000 cusecs, which was being released every day till yesterday. Not only this, the level of water in Hari Ke pond, which came down in the morning, had started rising and had touched 689.47 feet by 1 pm. Official sources said to bring the situation under control, the authorities had been diverting water towards Pakistan through Hussainiwala headworks.
About 36,000 cusecs of water was released yesterday while more than 31,000 cusecs of water was released today. “All officials of the Irrigation Department, who have been deployed at headworks and other sensitive spots, have been put on maximum alert to check the trend of water in rivers so that people living in flood-prone areas could be warned of any problem in advance,” said a senior functionary of the Irrigation Department.
The residents of various villages located close to the Sutlej near Hussainiwala joint checkpost (JCP) suffered huge losses for the second time as standing paddy, fodder and other crops came under knee-deep water after the river overflowed here about two days ago.
Earlier, extended areas of Jallo Ke, Tindi Wala, Chandi wala and Bhanewala villages came under five or six feet deep water on August 25 when the Sutlej overflowed near Jallo Ke village. Though the state government is yet to measure the quantum of loss suffered by the residents of these villages, the residents claimed that crops in about 2,000 acres of land had suffered absolute loss.
Interestingly, the Punjab government is yet to give compensation to those farmers and residents, whose crops were damaged when the gushing Sutlej water entered their fields and dwellings on August 25. “We are doubly cursed as we have faced two low floods in quick succession. The state government has added to our woes by not paying any compensation,” said Balbir Singh, one of the residents of the area.
Chinder Pal Singh Jalloke, a senior state BJP leader, said no district official had visited them so far to inquire about their plight despite the fact that a number of villages were hit by floods. He alleged that all officials were busy attending the Sangat Darshan programme of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held in the Guru Har Sahai area.
Official sources said the situation might turn ugly as more than 33,000 cusecs of water had been released from Pong Dam today against 18,000 cusecs, which was being released every day till yesterday. Not only this, the level of water in Hari Ke pond, which came down in the morning, had started rising and had touched 689.47 feet by 1 pm. Official sources said to bring the situation under control, the authorities had been diverting water towards Pakistan through Hussainiwala headworks.
About 36,000 cusecs of water was released yesterday while more than 31,000 cusecs of water was released today. “All officials of the Irrigation Department, who have been deployed at headworks and other sensitive spots, have been put on maximum alert to check the trend of water in rivers so that people living in flood-prone areas could be warned of any problem in advance,” said a senior functionary of the Irrigation Department.
