Breaches in Ghaggar plugged, life in Moonak returning to normal

SANGRUR: Deputy commissioner Arshdeep Singh Thind held an inter-departmental meeting to review the flood situation in the Moonak subdivision here on Saturday.

With no rain within 48 hours, life in the affected villages is slowly returning to normal and water has also started receding.

About 5,000 acres of agricultural land was submerged due to breaches in the Ghaggar embankment bordering Haryana.

After the meeting, Moonak sub- divisional magistrate (SDM) Navreet Sekhon told the HT that the Ghaggar was flowing at 743.4 feet below the danger mark of 753.

She added that all breaches have been plugged and water that had accumulated in the fields was receding.

While some of it was flowing into temporary channels, dug up alongside the Ghaggar, some of the water is flowing back into the Ghaggar.

To a question if any decision had been taken in the meeting regarding special girdawari (survey for compensation) of the damaged paddy, she said

ABOUT 5,000 ACRES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND HAD SUBMERGED DUE TO BREACHES IN THE GHAGGAR EMBANKMENT BORDERING HARYANA

once the fields were cleared, the revenue department would assess the damage and submit the report to the government for necessary action.

If weather remains the same and it does not rain here, the administration would further strengthen the breaches, which were plugged on a war footing with the help of the army, civilians and machines.

According to reports, such breeches and floods are common in this area and the government has failed to take any preventive measures because of the objections and obstacles created by Haryana.

When asked about the interstate problem in the Moonak area, Thind said, “We are in the process of finding a lasting solution to the problem.”