M A I N   N E W S

Chandigarh-Patiala link cut off
Army put on alert
From Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, July 18 — Flood waters today forced closure of the Chandigarh — Patiala highway, breached the Ghaggar at Jhajjon village in Ghanaur block and inundated thousands of acres of land in the district besides endangering the Nirwana Branch Canal .

The Army has also been put on alert as a huge sheet of water is expected to head towards RD 460 at Khanauri in Sangrur district, threatening many villages in Patiala. The syphons at Khanauri are capable of taking only 15,000 cusecs of water and around 2 lakh cusecs is expected to reach there by tomorrow evening.

Flood waters from the Ghaggar reached Banur today morning. The district administration closed the Chandigarh — Patiala highway for light vehicles late in the morning. However, traffic was completely stopped on the highway in the afternoon. While traffic on way to Patiala was diverted from Zirakpur, that going to Chandigarh was diverted from Rajpura .

A visit to Banur revealed that a 3 ft to 4 ft sheet of water had collected on a 3 km stretch next to the Banur Sales Tax barrier. An unidentified boy was drowned in flood waters near the barrier after he got stuck into a hole. Besides this water has entered Guru Nanak Colony, Banda Bahadur Colony and the Police Station. The Banur — Tripla road has also been closed.

Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir said that the Ghaggar had been breached at RD 460 at Jhajjon village in Ghanaur block last night and then again in the morning. He said presently work on plugging the breach was going on.

The Ghaggar has also flooded vast tracts of land belonging to around 15 villages in Ghanaur block. Water has accumulated at Raipur, Bhagaura, Sarala Kalan and Sarala Khurd besides other villages. At Sarala Kalan water has entered the village school, the Dalit basti and a few residences besides marooning a farm house. Sarpanch Gurdeep Singh told TNS that flood protection works were needed to save their agricultural crop from the fury of floods.

The Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal which flows adjoining the Nirwana Branch Canal in Ghanaur is also posing a threat to the latter. A breach has occurred at Olana village on the right hand side of the SYL canal, threatening six villages, including Lachrukalan, Majri Fakira and Shujalpur, which have been warned to be ready for evacuation. Water has also started going into the Nirwana Canal at Sarala.

Mr Bir said the water level of the Nirwana Canal was being brought down to ensure it was not threatened. Besides this, it has also requested the Haryana government to let water flow freely through the flood gates installed by it on the border with Punjab at Samailpur village to the Bibipur lake in Haryana. The Deputy Commissioner said that he had also spoken to Principal Secretary, Irrigation, in this regard and a team of engineers had been sent to study the situation on the spot and take action.

The Army has also been alerted by State Chief Secretary R.S. Mann to stand by in case evacuation of villagers has to be done from villages adjacent to Khanauri. Police personnel have already been posted at Khanauri besides boats.