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Letters and correspondences reached by The Indian Express on Thursday showed that the Jalandhar floods are bound to happen and despite multiple warnings by several locals as well as the local MP, the Punjab Sanitary Department did nothing to remove the water. Sutlej River canals under Gidderpindi Railway Bridge.
Records have shown that the attention of the Sewerage Department was drawn to the fact that only three of the 21 canals passing under the Gidderpindi Railway Bridge carrying water from Sutlej were operational. The remainder was choked with debris, most of which were heaps of silt which in some places piled up on the channels to a height of 12-13 feet, obstructing the flow of water.
With the rains and more water flowing into the Sutlej, these blocked channels impeded the free flow of water, which eventually led to the flooding of the nearby villages.
Punjab government records also showed similar floods in the Lohian-Shahkot district of Jalandhar district in 2019, which resulted in significant losses to infrastructure, crops and individual property – pegged at around Rs 1,200 crore at the time. However, it does not appear that any lessons were learned from the 2019 floods.
A senior official of Punjab’s sanitation department, on condition of anonymity, on Thursday showed all the correspondence they had received from local residents in the flood-affected area and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal several months before the inundation.
The official explained that the accumulation of silt must be removed annually to ensure a smooth passage of water under the bridge. He added that they had informed the railway officials of the need to remove encroachments from the area, but had not received any response.
As per the details, the Gidderpindi Railway Bridge stands 20 feet above the river bed. The 21 channels under the bridge that carry water require constant cleaning as they are prone to clogging by silt, felled trees, bushes, and wild grasses. When the river’s water level rises, it should naturally flow through the channels. However, due to the silt hills that formed under the bridge, the water instead of flowing forward, retreated and entered the low-lying villages as it reached Shahkot Subdivision, Jalandhar.
Contacted, MP Balbir Singh Sethwal said he had been alerting authorities about the problem for about a year, and had sent several letters as far back as June this year. In his message, he stressed the importance of protecting people, their homes and the crops of farmers in the region from floods, as the region has already witnessed five floods. The letter said the floods resulted in loss of life and property in four districts – Jalandhar, Kapurtala, Ferozepur and Muga.
In his letter, the MP stated that in order to remove the silt, the authorities would first and foremost need to clear out all unlawful encroachments on railway land near Railroad Bridge No. 84. The encroachments are 1,200 feet on the upstream side and 800 feet on the downstream side. “The removal of encroachments as well as siltation was supposed to be completed long before the rainy season,” said an official of the Punjab Drainage Department.
Records showed that MP Setchwal raised the issue of siltation and encroachment on railway lands in the Rajya Sabha as well. But in response to the “Special Notice” dated October 11, 2022, it was stated that there was no illegal encroachment on that place.
The state government has described the recent floods in Punjab as a natural disaster. However, a closer look at the flood control, funds allocated and protection measures implemented by successive governments reveals that these floods are mainly man-made, as a result of breaches in the embankments (Dhussi Bandhs) that could have been strengthened annually,” said a senior official of the Drainage Department. Sanitary in Punjab, adding that government officials wanted to sell the silt and called for bids for the same.The bids were supposed to be released on 23 June.
The head of a local group called the Flood Prevention Committee, Kulwinder Singh, stated that they have sent many letters to the department praying for action. However, they were all ignored. The Flood Prevention Committee is an organization formed by the local people in villages that have faced several floods in the past.
Despite the potential threat of disruption to normal life and loss of property highlighted by MP Seechewal, the authorities failed to realize the urgency of silt extraction before the onset of the monsoon season. Hundreds of villagers, through Seechewal, suggested building a metal road on Dhussi Bandh to strengthen it and provide better access to the local people. However, the pleas were not heard and now we are suffering the worst consequences,” said Kullwinder Singh.
MP Seechewal stated that he has written a letter to Punjab CM about blocking water channels under the railway bridge. He stated that he immediately obtained approval from the Chief Minister of Punjab to remove silt, and work commenced on 28 June. However, they could not do enough before heavy monsoon rains hit the state.
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