A 40-foot-wide breach in the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) near the Sathiala headworks in Gurdaspur district inundated several adjoining villages early Tuesday morning. The breach occurred around 3 am, prompting immediate response from local authorities.
Breach Triggers Flooding in Agricultural Areas
Migrant workers living near the canal noticed abruptly rising water in agricultural fields and raised the alarm. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Uppal was informed and promptly directed water resources department officials to stop the flow of water from the Madhopur headworks upstream near Pathankot.
“Three JCB machines and one poclain machine have been requisitioned to plug the breach,” said DC Uppal. “The flow of water is stopped by shutting off the water supply at the Madhopur headworks, located upstream near Pathankot. And that is what we did before starting work to plug the hole. The embankment had collapsed following which massive volumes of water rushed into adjoining villages, residential properties apart from damaging the paddy crop,” said an official.
Damage Assessment Underway
The rising waters raised concern for farmers, particularly those who have recently sown the paddy crop. Teams from the administration and water resources departments are still assessing the damage. Efforts were also made to divert the flow of water upstream to minimise further inundation.
Political Reaction: MP Blames Government Neglect
Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa expressed concern that flood waters have started entering villages despite the monsoon not yet arriving. He said, “Punjab’s canal infrastructure has started exposing years of neglect and the AAP government’s failure. Even before the monsoon has arrived, the canal at the Sathiali headworks has breached its banks, flooding nearby villages and homes. The state government must urgently repair and strengthen vulnerable canals before more farmers and villages pay the price of the ruling party’s negligence.”
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the condition of canal infrastructure in Punjab, with critics pointing to inadequate maintenance and delayed repairs. The breach has caused significant damage to residential properties and standing crops, with full extent still being evaluated.
