Border villages along the Satluj in Ferozepur district are on the edge again after a spike in the water level of the river on Tuesday, which inundated agricultural land and eroded riverbanks.
Residents of the affected villages, including Navi Gatti Rajoke, Tendiwala, Kaluwala, Nihala Kilcha, Nihala Lavera, Dhira Ghara and Bandala, fear that the river might change its course and flood their villages.
The downstream discharge from Harike Headworks was 92,000 cusecs, while the discharge from Hussainiwala stood at 80,000 cusecs, nearly double the usual flow. Following excessive rains in the catchment areas of rivers in Himachal Pradesh, more water was released from Bhakra and Pong dams downstream of Harike in the past two days.
The situation is particularly grim in Kaluwala, the last Indian village on the Indo-Pak border which is still struggling to cope with the fury of floods. Around 250 people from the village moved to safer places after a rise in the water level. Sixteen families have shifted to the nearby Langiāna village, where they are putting up in temporary tarpaulin shelters.
While the tubewells and borewells of farmers are still not in working condition, the electricity poles that had fallen during the floods have still not been installed again. With their agricultural land buried under 6-8 ft of sand, farmers are apprehensive about what the future holds for them.
Farmlands are again flooded after the embankment on the Pakistan side collapsed. The floodwaters have washed away the topsoil at several places, causing deep craters. Farmers are not sure whether they will be able to sow their next wheat crop in time.
Also read: Satluj erodes 38 acres, DC seeks Army help
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