Punjab minister visits villages affected by rising water level in Ferozepur

Ferozepur/Hoshiarpur/Kapurthala, Aug 21 (PTI) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Thursday reviewed the relief work in villages affected by rising water level in the rivers in Ferozepur and said the state government will fully compensate the people for crop damage and other losses.

Goyal visited the affected areas in Tendi Wala, Ghazni Wala and Dhira Ghara in Ferozepur. Eight cabinet ministers have been assigned to supervise relief work in the flood-affected areas.

He said the most important priority of the Punjab government is to take the people in the flood-affected areas to safer places, as well as providing them health care, ration and fodder to livestock.

During his visit, the minister also interacted with affected families, heard their problems and ordered officials to provide all possible assistance to them. He said the Punjab government is monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

Goyal said the Punjab government has spent Rs 276 crore on flood prevention works.

Many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have been receiving heavy rains in the past few weeks, leading to heavy flow of water in the Beas and Sutlej rivers.

The worst-affected areas are Tanda in Hoshiarpur district, Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district and some villages in Ferozepur, Fazilka and Tarn Taran districts.

Meanwhile, Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian visited the flood-affected villages of Baupur Jadeed and Sangra in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district, where he met with affected families.

He said the state government has issued orders for special 'girdawari' (loss assessment) to compensate for crop damage and other losses caused by rising water levels in rivers.

He informed that the deputy commissioners have been instructed to complete the special 'girdawari' as soon as water levels recede and submit their reports promptly, so that appropriate compensation can be provided to affected people.

The minister also disclosed that relief operations in the flood-affected districts of Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka are being monitored by a ministerial committee.

The cabinet ministers are visiting various districts to share the grief of affected people while continuously overseeing relief operations.

He further said a sum of Rs 2 crore has been released for relief operations in Kapurthala district to ensure that distribution of rations, drinking water, medicines and livestock healthcare services continues for affected people.

Mundian said under flood prevention measures, a special campaign will be launched across Punjab to further strengthen 'Dhussi' and advance bundhs'”earthen embankments. He reached affected people by a boat and listened to their difficulties.

He also asked to deploy additional State Disaster Response Force) teams to ensure relief operations face no obstacles. Mundian distributed dry rations, medicines and drinking water to affected people.

The minister instructed district administrative officers to ensure continuous fogging in affected areas. Besides this, health department teams should conduct regular health checkups while raising awareness among people about skin diseases and water-borne disease prevention.

Stressing special attention to livestock healthcare, Mundian ordered veterinary doctors to visit affected villages and habitats to examine livestock.

In Kapurthala, flood-affected people on Thursday heaved a sigh of relief as flood water in the swollen Beas river receded by two feet in the worst affected village Baupur and other adjoining villages, according to an official of the drainage department.

The official said the water level in the river is varying from 1.16 lakh to 1.19 lakh cusecs.

According to official sources, about 69,800 cusecs of water was discharged into the Beas through spillway gates and powerhouse tunnels at the Shah Nehar barrage.

The inflow also stood at 69,800 cusecs, while the reservoir level touched 1,384.45 feet, close to the danger mark of 1,390 feet. Around 1.15 lakh cusecs of water was flowing in the river, they added.

Sukhpreet Singh, subdivisional officer (drainage and mining), Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district, said MGNREGA workers had been deployed to strengthen the embankment at Kanwali village, which lies right on the riverbank.

The workers are plugging rat holes and soil erosion points with earth to prevent breaches, he said.

Rara village sarpanch Charanjit Singh Sandhu said water had entered low-lying portions of farmland in the area.

He demanded adequate compensation for crop loss, saying that the Rs 7,200 per acre relief given by the government after the 2023 floods was too little compared to actual expenses.

"Just harvesting paddy costs about Rs 5,000 per acre, while the total cost of cultivation comes close to Rs 20,000. The government should announce realistic compensation this time," he said, adding that his own 28-acre of areas was under floodwater and that about 500 acres of the village's 4,400-acre land was affected.

Tanda Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parampreet Singh said five villages had been put on alert and Abdullapur had already been evacuated.

He said all affected families are being provided necessary assistance. PTI COR CHS SKY SKY