Dist admn rules out possibility of floods, officials still vigilant

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 11

With a decline in rainfall this monsoon in the region, the district administration has ruled out any possibility of a flood-like situation.

However, officials of the Drainage Department are still on alert to deal with any exigency if it arises due to heavy rainfall in the next few days.

The water level of Sutlej passing through the district has come down drastically in the past few days. Though the water level in the dam on the Beas river has increased as compared to the last year, the situation is under control due to the regular release of water by the dam authorities.

While informing more, XEN Ram Rattan of the Drainage Department said last year on August 9, the water level in the dam was 1615.93 feet whereas it has reached 1651.54 feet on the same day this year.

“Over 19,626 cusecs of water was released from the dam on August 9 while over 23,087 cusecs of water was released on August 10,” said Ram Rattan adding that the maximum inflow of water reported into the dam on August 7 this year was 82,520 cusecs of water and the maximum water (33,679 cusecs) was released from the Ropar head works into Punjab at 3 am on August 8.

The district administration has also identified over 12 vulnerable points where the situation may become worrisome due to heavy in the next few days. These points include Lassara Complex, Jhandipeer, Bholewal, Meonwal, Sangowal, Sadra Bhoda, Lohgarh, Danewal, Banpur, Thamuwal, Ismailpur and Bhanewal.

Ram Rattan said, “These points have been declared vulnerable as the river is touching the spurs (Stones tied in wires placed on the banks of a river). If the water level of the river increases, it can cross the spurs and enter the nearby villages.”

The District Drainage Department has got a stud of the Jhandi Peer complex repaired at a cost of Rs 5.60 lakh. Two more studs were constructed for Rs 21.04 lakh and 21.61 lakh at the Jhandi Peer complex and Gadhra Bhoda complex respectively.

According to officials of the Drainage Department, the water level was said to be dangerous if the flow was over 1 lakh cusecs. Though the administration has issued an evacuation warning after the water level crossed 50,000 cusecs, no one actually got evacuated till the water level increased beyond 1 lakh cusecs.

Punjab reported floods in 1988 when the water inflow at Ropar Headwork was reported to be 4, 55,411 cusecs. Many districts, including Ropar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Moga, were immersed deep in water. People and cattle were evacuated at the mass level in the area adjoining Sutlej River.