Patiala, July 6
Incessant rain over the past two days has led to a breach in the Ghaggar at Sarala Kalan, near Ghanour, thereby flooding over 20 villages. Water has inundated Mahiduda, Haripur Jhungian, Sarala, Seel, Rathian and Jarikpur villages.

Patiala DC Dipinder Singh visited the area and directed the administration officials to get done the ‘girdawri’ of affected villages. He also directed the Drainage Department officials to plug the breach at the earliest.

Earlier, there were reports that the water level in the Ghaggar was nearing the danger mark due to incessant rain in Patiala and its surrounding areas for the past two days. Though the district administration authorities and the Drainage Department officials said the situation was under control, flash floods looked staring in the face.

However, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh denied any breach, but it was learnt that there had been a breach in a distributary of the Ghaggar near Rajpura, following which some villages had been inundated. The Ghaggar has remained untamed so far and due to heavy rains it had flooded the Sarala Kalan area in September last year as well.

Speaking to The Tribune, XEN Drainage Department Ashwani Singla said, “The water level in Ghanaur is at 16 ft 5 inches, which is just below the danger level of 16 ft 6 inches. But the past experience shows that the water overflows only when it exceeds 18 ft mark here”.

Singla further said in case the region received more rain in the next 24 hours, then the situation might get worrisome, adding that a lot depends upon the weather in Himachal Pradesh as well.

“There are reports of heavy downpour in Himachal. So next 24 hours will be crucial,” he said, adding that as precautionary measures, the flood control centres by the administration as well as the Police Department had already been set up. The DC stated that the situation was completely under control and the officials had been asked to maintain a vigil on the Ghaggar water level.

The submerged Kharar-Chandigarh stretch of National Highway-21. Tribune photos

Ropar, July 6
Rain continued to create flood-like situation in the areas of Chamkaur Sahib, Nurpur Bedi and Ropar, especially those lying along the Swan rivulet. The traffic moving on the road, damaged near Shamspur (Kiri di Kishti) village at Chamkaur Sahib due to rain, has been diverted. Chamkaur Sahib SDM JC Sabharwal said it would take around a week to repair the road. In the meantime, the administration has diverted route of the traffic. Sabharwal added that cement pipes would be laid on the road.

Traffic bound from Ropar to Neelon has now been diverted, via Morinda and vice-versa. He added that the traffic moving from Neelon to Chamkaur Sahib would have to come through the Behlolpur bridge, covering Behlolpur, Kotla Surmukh Singh, Kiri Afgana, Dholran villages and further Chamkaur Sahib.

Similarly, traffic bound from Chamkaur Sahib to Neelon would have to take the route of Bassi Gujran, Manauli, Shamaspur, Manaula, Nanowal Kalan and Behlolpur villages, which is 6 km additional to the earlier route. The Drainage Department has asserted to install signboards at the above routes.

Many villages were left inundated due to ongoing work of widening of Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib stretch. The company laying this stretch had dumped its construction material on roadside, thereby blocking the natural flow of water.

SDM Ropar Anindita Mitra visited the affected areas of Kotla Nihang, Basant Nagar and Sadavart and directed that all obstructions to flow of water be cleaned. The villagers rued that they have been raising hue and cry against the blocked water flow, but no one paid attention to their demands. “Now when we have suffered the losses, administration has realised that indeed the construction company has done wrong. These company officials should be booked for acting in a negligent manner,” said Jaswinder Singh from Kotla Nihang.

Chandigarh, July 6
In less than two days of the onset of the southwest monsoon several parts of Punjab and Haryana are virtually grappling with a flood-like situation because of choked sewers, blocked stormwater channels and thickly silted irrigation channels.

Problems are going to aggravate in the coming days, warn the Public Health authorities, maintaining that the accelerated process of urbanisation, including the development of new colonies with or without an adequate stormwater drainage facility, are the basic causes of flooding in semi-urban and urban areas.

They also maintain that the changing natural course of the traditional water channels and the filling up of village ponds have been responsible for the early flooding of rural areas, including paddy fields.

At places, eroded or damaged embankments of canals and irrigation channels, including rivulets, have exposed the lack of preparedness of various government agencies, including the Irrigation, Drainage and Sanitation Departments.

Until a few days ago, people in North India in general and farmers in particular, were waiting for the arrival of the southwest monsoon. But in less than two days, rain, though normal for the beginning of the monsoon, has already caused more misery than bringing cheer.

Traffic on several roads remained either suspended or curtailed because of gushing water that swept away not only portions of roads but also several culverts, damaging bridges and road berms.

At places rail traffic, too, has been disrupted because of flooding.

Though it has been a tradition, both in Punjab and Haryana, to hold pre-monsoon meetings of various departments for taking steps to prevent floods, the failure of the southwest monsoon last year probably made the officials lax this time. At places where rainwater has entered houses, fields, schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and rail tracks, it exposed the lack of preparedness on the part of the authorities concerned.

Though both Punjab and Haryana have been talking big on the harvesting of rainwater, little or nothing has been done to channelise this natural resource. Rather, at places the authorities are finding it hard to find passage for the accumulated rainwater to escape.

The southwest monsoon has eased pressure on the electricity corporations, as there is a considerable drop in the demand for power, both by the agricultural sector as well as domestic consumers. Day and night temperatures have dropped considerably. Meteorologists have predicted more rain in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Bathinda, July 6
After a huge breach that occurred in the Samrala canal days ago, the possibility of such an eventuality taking place in Bathinda district cannot be ruled out.

Despite being aware of the 87-mile-long Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal, with its frail and eroded embankments, that has been in need of repair, the administration is apparently waiting for a similar incident to take place before taking a notice of its vulnerable condition.

As the water level at many places in this canal usually flows on a par with the level of its embankment, with the onset of the monsoon, when a large number of farmers have reportedly closed field inlet channels, the threat of a breach taking place at various points has increased.

Visiting about 25 km along the canal banks, this correspondent today witnessed embankments damaged at various points. The condition of fatigue of the canal banks poses a grave threat to villages, agricultural fields and to various localities of the city, situated along the canal. Admitting the facts, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, Rajinder Singh said, “This canal needs an immediate repair. A project for its repair and relining has already been sent to the Centre.” 

Urna (Samrala), July 6
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced the constitution of a flood- relief committee under the chairmanship of Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

Talking to mediapersons at Urna village after observing the flood-hit areas and the plight of the villagers, Sukhbir said the committee would keep a strict watch on flood relief in the affected areas, mainly in villages falling between Ropar and Ludhiana districts.

He said that the government machinery would start relief operations immediately in the affected villages.

Sukhbir added that a special girdawri had been ordered to look into the loss to crops, mainly paddy. He ordered the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, to immediately open all nullahs and pullies for smooth flow of water from the upper areas to the low- lying areas and assured that heavy accumulation of water would be cleared in the next 24 hours. He also directed the DIG, Ludhiana, to send police parties to all affected villages and breach link roads to control infighting among villages on this score.

Nabha, July 6
Incessant rains has caused a heavy damage to the paddy crop on thousands of acres in villages of the Nabha subdivision, including Kaidupur, Lubana, Lope Bhore, Mohal Gwara, Mallehwal, Ghanniwal, Khokh etc, as the water level has failed to recede from fields due to choked drains.

According to an estimate, rains have damaged 10,000 acres of paddy crop, as there was a flood-like situation in villages surrounding Bhore Siphon, where water was gushing over the danger mark. Villagers alleged that Rs 22 lakh were shown spent in papers to clear the siphon, but nothing had been done. SDO Gurnam Singh said the estimate was sent to the government, but not even a single penny was sanctioned. The local Hira Mahal also submerged in waist-deep water. Residents alleged it was for the first time in 35 years that water had entered their houses.

Chandigarh, July 6
The Punjab Congress has come under fire from one of its own in the run-up to the organisational elections of the state unit, with Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira today claiming that the inactivity of the incumbent leadership seemed to justify allegations that it was hand in glove with the Akalis.

Khaira, who has virtually revolted against the incumbent leadership without actually naming Punjab Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, claimed a cross-section of people were accusing the leadership of being hand in glove with the Akalis due to its failure to create a single “people’s movement” against the SAD-BJP combine.

Talking to TNS here, Khaira said the leadership was blocking the platform for protest by others and should quit if it could not work as per the aspirations of Congress workers. When asked whether he had brought this to the notice of the Congress high command, Khaira said, “I am sure the high command is seized of the failure of the present leadership and will intervene to resolve the matter at the earliest”.

The legislator’s assault on the Punjab Congress leadership follows a more frontal attack by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had accused the then Pradesh Congress president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal of being hand in glove with the Akalis more than a year ago.

Khaira, however, denies that his accusation has anything to do with Amarinder Singh or that he his acting in the latter’s interest.

Ferozepur, July 6
The Congress high command has directed Mohinder Singh Kaypee, president, PPCC, to scarp all appointments of secretaries made by him at the end of December 2009.

“It has been brought to our notice by the general secretary in charge of Punjab that you have appointed some secretaries of the Punjab PCC at the end of December 2009 when the organisational election process had already started. Kindly note that the appointments made at that point of time without the approval of the proper authorities at the AICC level are not treated as valid,” reads the letter written to Kaypee by Oscar Fernandes, MP and member, Congress Working Committee (CWC).

“You are therefore requested to please scrap the appointments of these secretaries immediately under intimation to us and inform all concerned,” the letter further reads.

It is learnt that Fernandes issued the letter to Kaypee when a section of the Punjab Congress leaders met him privately and apprised him of the situation prevailing in the PPCC. These leaders had also objected to the giving of party posts to those, who were never primary members of the party in the past.

The Congress leaders requested Fernandes to direct the PPCC to induct only those persons into the organisational set-up of the party, who could be instrumental in bringing people closer to the party.

Sources claimed that Kaypee had to face an embarrassing situation when it was found that about three lakh persons out of about 31 lakh persons, who were enrolled as members of the Congress in Punjab during the recruitment drive, were not genuine.

Kaypee said no secretary was appointed at the end of December 2009 and if anyone had been appointed as secretary, his or her appointment would be scrapped automatically after the issuance of the letter by Fernandes, which had not been received by him so far.

Chandigarh, July 6
The Punjab Cabinet Subcommittee constituted to work out the modalities for the adoption of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2010, is likely to recommend the dilution of the various provisions of the Bill.

Some members of the subcommittee, sources state, are under pressure from the private practitioners as also the large corporate hospitals in the state not to allow the Bill to be adopted in toto.

The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, was passed in May this year and aims to regulate and standardise the functioning of private hospitals and clinics across the country. The Bill makes it mandatory for private hospitals, including single- doctor clinics, to follow minimum standards of functioning as laid down by the National Council.

The National Council, according to the Bill, will be a representative body that will classify the various private clinical establishments and determine the minimum standards for these.

Though the provisions of the Bill are pro-people, a section of the medical fraternity is opposing it. Various branches of the IMA have also lodged their protest 
against the adoption of the Bill during the past few weeks.

Sources state that the Cabinet subcommittee that includes, among others, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Minister for Medical Education and Research Tikshan Sood and Food Supplies Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon is divided on the issue of the adoption of the Bill in toto or with changes.

They add that barring Sood, most of the ministers were of the view that the Bill was a pro-people Bill and needed to be adopted as such. “However, now it has been decided that some changes should be done to the provisions laid down in the original Bill and a long period of time be given to the clinical establishments to abide by the provisions,” said one of the members on condition of anonymity.

Chandigarh, July 6
Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Tikshan Sud today said there was no proposal to double the fee for management quota seats in the MBBS course in private medical colleges in the state from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.

Talking to TNS here, the minister said there was only a demand from private medical colleges requesting the government to double the fee of the management quota seats held by them. “There is no question of acceding to this demand”, he said, adding the government was determined to watch the interest of the students.

However, there may be an increase in fee in private medical colleges, with Sud saying the government would try to balance the interests of both the students as well as the medical college managements.

While speaking about the demand by the private medical college managements, the minister said they had asked for an increase in the fee of both the government seats as well as the seats available under the management quota or low-merit seats. At present Rs 1.15 lakh is charged for 50 per cent seats filled through the government quota while Rs 3 lakh is charged for 35 per cent seats under the management quota.

Private medical colleges claim these amounts do not cover their infrastructure and teaching costs and have demanded that the rate for government seats should be increased from Rs 1.15 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh and that for management seats from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh. However, in case the government does not increase the fee structure of its seats, they have demanded that the management seat fee should be hiked to Rs 6 lakh.

The minister, meanwhile, disclosed that the government would take a view on the matter after a four-member committee headed by Chief Secretary SC Agarwal submited its report on the issue. Fresh admissions to medical colleges in the state are expected to start after July 15. There are 490 seats available in private medical colleges with 70 each at Dayanand Medical College and Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, 100 at Guru Ram Das College in Amritsar, 100 at Gian Sagar at Rajpura and 150 in a private college in Bathinda.

Sources disclosed that private dental colleges had also demanded a fee hike.

Chandigarh, July 6
Widespread rain in the region has thrown normal life out of gear, but it has not helped state farmers directly. The 48-hours of incessant rains have remained confined to mainly three districts of Ropar, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib. But on account of heavy rains in catchments in adjoining Himachal Pradesh, the filling up of dams and improved power situation has resulted in the early transplantation of paddy.

Sources in the Agriculture Department said paddy transplantation work that usually got over by mid-July was expected to be completed by the weekend, nearly a week ahead of the schedule. Till today, paddy has been planted in over 20 lakh hectares in the state. Punjab is expecting a total of 27.5 lakh hectare paddy plantation during the current kharif crop.

“Though rains at this stage are good for paddy, the current spell has remained confined to only a few districts in Malwa, whereas some isolated areas in the Doaba region like Garshankar have also seen some rain. But the Majha region has totally remained devoid of any rain yet. Even the rain in June was below normal,” a senior official said.

“With canal water now available in abundance and power situation improving, adequate water has been available for both paddy and cotton. We hope for brighter prospects for the crops and expect higher yields,” Director (Agriculture) BS Sidhu said.

The Agriculture Minister held a departmental review on Monday where it was disclosed that farmers in Punjab have simply avoided the PAU-201. A majority of farmers have gone in for the PUSA-44 that comprises about 45 per cent of the total plantation and the remaining varieties popular with Punjab farmers include the HRK-47 etc. Nearly 17 lakh tonnes of the PAU -201 is still with millers from last year as this variety has high breakage.

Sidhu said after paddy, cotton was the second most popular crop with farmers. This kharif season, the state is expecting about 5.3 lakh hectares to be under cotton cultivation.

Kharar, July 6
Illegal mining near Astha Enclave has started taking its toll on the nearby buildings. Owner of a private land had illegally allowed mining on his residential plot leading to 20-feet deep pit.

Incessant rains for the past three days have filled the entire area with water. There are around 25 flats of nearby Astha Enclave that are getting affected. The area residents said the water was harming foundation of their buildings, which were getting damaged owing to seepage of water. The residents alleged that they have been making rounds of the government offices informing about the illegal mining, but all pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Panicked residents have approached Kharar Municipal Council seeking help two days back. In the name of help, MC Kharar installed a genset and started pumping water out of the pit only to stop at night.

Further downpour during the night hours added to the water woes.

The residents again raised alarm and informed Mohali Deputy Commissioner, following which the fire brigade has been put into action. Fire brigade was put on job of pumping out the water from the large pit into the nearby Ajj sarovar, a water body that lies parched for the past many years.

However, the fire brigade employees on spot said they were fighting a losing battle. “Water from the entire city is emptying into this pit. No matter for how long we continue to pump out the water, situation remains as such. We have not managed to empty even one-tenth of the large pit,” they rued. If provided with proper lighting arrangement at night, the operation was supposed to continue or else would be wounded up by 8 pm.

Ludhiana, July 6
The son of state Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Satpal Gosain has been booked for allegedly manhandling and detaining SDO of the Punjab Pollution Control Board Puja Sharma. She alleged that Sudarshan Gosain even hurled abuses at her and thrashed her driver.

The incident took place last evening when she visited a factory unit run by him. The trouble started when Gosain refused to show the hazard waste record, which led to an argument. He allegedly snatched her file and torn her diary where she had stated the violation committed by the industrialist.

The victim alleged that Gosain, along with his accomplices, locked them inside the factory unit. She added that somehow she managed to escape. Following her complaint, the Focal Point Police has registered an FIR against Sudershan.