Hoshiarpur/Kapurthala: Agricultural fields in the low-lying areas adjoining the river Beas in several villages of the Tanda region in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district have been inundated due to the release of water from the Pong Dam in Talwara following heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the river, officials said on Monday.
A nearly 100-foot breach in a temporary ‘bundh’ — an embankment to protect fields — inundated 16 villages in the mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi in the Kapurthala district, leading to flooding of standing crops in the affected areas.
In the Pathankot district, many areas were flooded with rainwater, causing inconvenience to commuters.
BBMB said the Pong Dam reservoir level was recorded at 1,377.03 feet against the maximum capacity of 1,390 feet on Tuesday evening. A total of 57,087 cusecs of water was released- 17,849 cusecs through turbines and 39,238 cusecs through spillways. The average inflow into the dam stands at 51,797 cusecs. Presently, over 1.5 lakh cusecs of water is flowing in the Beas.
In the mand area, Kapurthala district administration has put civil and defence department officials on alert to tackle any exigency. The authorities have been using drones to take stock of the flooding in the area.
The villages included Baupur Zadid, Baupur Kadim, Rampur Gaura, Mohmdabad, Mubarakpur, Sangra, Baupur Kadim, Baupur Zadid, Bhaini Karim, Passan Kadim and Bhaini Bahadur were presently flooded.
Deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal rode a tractor to engage with farmers and residents in Baupur Jadid village of the mand area.
“The water flow in the Beas is currently stable at 1.05 lakh cusecs, with no increase reported in the last 12 hours. The main Dhussi bundh remains fully secure. I urged the public to remain calm and avoid panic,” he said.
DC Panchal ordered the closure of the government high school and government primary school in Baupur Jadid for the next two days.
“Relief centres have been identified to facilitate the safe relocation of residents if required. Nearly 20,000 sandbags have been prepared by MGNREGA workers to strengthen flood defences, while the drainage department is closely monitoring water releases from the Pong Dam and maintaining direct coordination with the Harike Headworks for continuous water discharge management,” Panchal said.
In Hoshiarpur, water entered the farmland along the banks, forcing people to shift to safer places. Several people living in the low-lying areas in Abdullapur villages in Tanda block have left their settlements and shifted their belongings to other places, some taking shelter in a gurdwara in Ibrahimpur village. River water has entered fields in Gandowal, Tahli and Fatta Kulla villages.
A flood threat is looming over many other villages in Talwara, Hajipur, Mukerian, and Dasuya. Villagers in Mehtabpur in Mukerian worked day and night to strengthen the dhussi bandh to prevent damage. This bandh was breached in the 2023 floods, which had caused enormous damage to the crops.
Those living in Naushehra Pattan, Motla, Sanyal, Harse Kalota, Dhanoa, and other areas near the riverbank are also on alert. The administration maintained that the situation was under control. “As of now, there is nothing to panic about. We have stepped up vigil in vulnerable areas”, said Deputy Commissioner Ashik Jain.
NGO Baba Deep Singh Sewa Dal Garhdiwala has positioned its rescue boats in Beas.
