The Ghaggar river overflowed and submerged parts of several villages in the Ghanaur and Sanaur subdivisions of Patiala district on Saturday, leaving residents on edge as water entered roads and fields. The district administration, however, maintained that the situation was under control and floodwaters had receded.
Residents Blame Unrepaired Breaches
Residents of the affected villages expressed frustration, stating that the government had failed to implement a fool-proof mechanism ahead of the monsoon season. They accused the Irrigation Department of not carrying out necessary repairs and strengthening of the riverbanks. According to locals, breaches in the banks of the seasonal river cause losses every monsoon.
“We have been raising the issue for the past many months. A brief spell of rain has left roads and fields submerged,” said Madan Lal Jalalpur, a former MLA from Ghanaur.
Water Enters Fields Through Old Breaches
Youth Akali Dal president and Ghanaur Halqa in-charge Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer noted that the water level in the Ghaggar was only 25-30% at present, yet water had started entering fields through breaches that had remained unrepaired since the 2021 and 2023 floods. “The government never bothered to repair them,” he said.
Villagers in Sanaur said the inundation contradicted government claims of spending crores on repairing the riverbanks. “We have been flagging the unrepaired breaches for the past one year, but the government did nothing to fix them. Now, even little rain is enough for the river water to enter our fields,” said Sanaur residents, who are keeping vigil and expecting the situation to worsen if more rain falls in the hills.
District Administration Claims Situation Controlled
Meanwhile, the district administration asserted that the situation was under control and attributed the rise in water level to heavy rainfall in the catchment area. “We are fully prepared and there is no flood threat as of now,” said a senior official.
Akash Aggarwal, Executive Engineer (Drainage), stated that any floodwater did not cause harm and receded after some time. “We have done ample work alongside Ghaggar to plug breaches. There is no danger or threat to residents,” he said.
