Alert in Sultanpur Lodhi, admn plans to evacuate 16 villages
College students inside a van stuck in a swollen choe at Hoshiarpur’s Jhawan village rescued, water from overflowing Kali Bein enters fields in Mukerian, Dasuya and Tanda villages
› Villages get cutoff from Sultanpur Lodhi after water level of Beas river rises. If authorities release more water into Beas, we will appeal people to vacate their houses and go to safer destinations.
MOHAMMAD TAYYAB , Kapurthala deputy commissioner
KAPURTHALA/HOSHIARPUR: The district administration sounded alert in Sultanpur Lodhi after the The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) authorities announced to release excess water from the Pong Dam in Beas on Tuesday.
The administration advised residents of the 16 villages in the Mand area to vacate their houses
Kapurthala deputy commissioner (DC) Mohammad Tayyab said he had reviewed the situation and held a meeting with the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Charumita Shekhar to ensure preparations to tackle the situation.
“Villages get cut-off from Sultanpur Lodhi after water level of Beas River rises. If authorities release more water into Beas, we will appeal people to vacate their houses and go to safer places,” Tayyab said.
Over 5,000 residents of the 16 villages in the island spread over 25 sq km, also called ‘Mini Sri Lanka’ of Punjab, face troubles every year, said a resident and Kissan Sangarsh Committee president Paramjit Singh.
The affected villages include — Baopur, Dhunna, Baopur Kadim, Baopur Zadid, Bheni Kadamwala, Sangran, Gaurewal, Kishangarh, Ramapur Gorey and Tangra.
HOSHIARPUR FLOODED, HOUSES COLLAPSE
Deputy commissioner (DC) Isha Kalia on Monday visited the dam in Talwara and vulnerable areas along Beas. She advised people to not go near the river. She also asked people to keep restraint and not trust rumours.
“The BBMB authorities will keep the district administration in loop. They have assured that the proposed release will not cause any crisis,” the DC said.
“As venturing in the river can be risky, we have told the residents to remain cautious,” she said. Special teams have been deputed to keep round the clock vigil at the situation.
“We have made arrangements to tackle eventualities. Flood control rooms have been activated and people have been alerted through revenue staff to take precautionary measures,” she claimed.
People have been asked to keep distance from ‘choes’ (rivulets) as they suddenly brim when water flows downhill from Shivaliks. In Tanda, a college van was trapped in a swollen choe at Jhawan village on Monday morning. Locals had to toil hard to rescue the students. No casualties were reported.
Water overflowing from Kali Bein has entered fields in several villages of Mukerian, Dasuya and Tanda.
A number of kuccha houses fell due to rain. One house collapsed in Katcha Toba locality and eight houses fell in Lalwan village in Mahilpur. The affected families took shelter in community hall. Three houses were reportedly damaged in Garhshankar.
A Maruti Swift almost swept away in gushing choe water near Garhi Mansowal in Garhshankar. Six occupants, including a child, were rescued by the villagers.
Heavy rain has resulted in rising of water in Pong dam and river Beas, causing panic among people living in its vicinity in Dasuya and Mukerian sub-divisions of the district.