The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Rain showers misery in Muktsar dist Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, August 18 Heavy rain for the last four days coupled with the poor drainage system have brought miseries to the residents of Muktsar district. Almost all villages in the district besides the three sub-divisional towns of Muktsar, Malout and Gidderbaha are inundated with rainwater. The heavy showers have caused huge loss to the cotton crop. The rainwater has been forcing people to shift to safer places. It has been also causing loss to the shopkeepers as on Saturday, the markets remained shut because of rain and flooded roads. Though the district administration has been toiling hard to drain out the water, the overflowing village ponds have been proving to be a big hurdle in the process. The superintending engineer of Muktsar Drainage Circle said, “We are trying to drain the water from the villages, but it will take nearly two days provided there is no fresh rain.” Gulshan Rai Nagpal, Executive Engineer, Drainage Circle, Gidderbaha, said, “A number of pumps have been installed to drain the water. The problem of fresh waterlogging has been reported only in those villages where the ponds were not cleaned. It is also to be seen if people have encroached upon them.” Some villages, including Udekaran and Thandewala, are the worst hit. Here, rainwater has not been drained for the last couple of days. The administration has installed 23 and 20 pumps in these villages, respectively. On the other hand, the villagers said, “If just one more spell of rain lashes the area, the situation would be like in 2011, when the rains had caused widespread losses. The administration must gear up in advance so that the people could be saved from losses and water can be drained from the villages.” A farmer, Ranjodh Singh of Lambi village, said, “The recent rains have caused huge damage to the cotton crop. The farmers should be given compensation for their losses.” Similarly, Jagpal Singh of Abulkhurana village, a Congress leader, said, “The present situation has exposed the poor functioning of the authorities concerned. We are the residents of the Chief Minister’s own constituency, but no arrangements are in place even here to drain the rainwater. The waterlogging is a result of clogged drains.” To take stock of the situation, Deputy Commissioner Parmjit Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner NS Bath and SDM Muktsar VPS Bajwa visited some villages. A flood control room with the phone number 01633-260341 has also been set up by the district administration where people can call anytime. The operator told The Tribune that till 5 pm, as many as 21 complaints had been received. “We are making all possible efforts to drain out water from the residential areas. The water is being drained into some minors and other efforts are also afoot. Besides, medical teams are being sent to the villages. People should cooperate with the officials in tackling this situation,” said the Deputy Commissioner. Meanwhile, the roof of nearly a dozen houses collapsed in Ramnagar Basti at Chak Bir Sarkar area of Muktsar town. At some places, the rainwater has even started overflowing the railway tracks. A farmer, Pappu Singh of Bahmanwala village, said, “I own 30 acres of agricultural land which has been all waterlogged due to rain. On an earlier occasion, I had drained the water using pumps, but now it is impossible to carry out the same exercise again, because nobody will give me the money as I am unable to repay the debts of 2011, when a similar situation had arisen.” Bridge washed away A bridge over a drain on the Malout-Delhi national highway was washed away on Sunday at Danewala village. Sources said the bridge was old and the drain had also not been cleaned. Meanwhile, vehicles on the route were diverted through village link roads. We are making all possible efforts to drain out water from the residential areas. The water is being drained into some minors and other efforts are also being made. Besides, medical teams are being sent to the villages. People should cooperate with the officials in tackling this situation — Parmjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner
	Officials on toes to avert clashes over rainwater drainage Balwant Garg/TNS Faridkot, August 18 After the heavy rains, because of the many instances of clashes between the farmers over the drainage of accumulated rainwater from their fields, the police and district administration are on high alert to prevent such incidents. The drainage department has geared up to flush out the water with the help of pumps. The accumulated rainwater in the fields is not only causing tension within the villages but is also stoking anxiety among the farmers. At the village level, groupism is queering the pitch with one group accusing the other of encroaching upon the village common land and the ponds, thus leaving no route for the rainwater to escape. The residents of Machaki Mal Singh Wala village of Faridkot yesterday in the evening blocked the Kotkapura-Faridkot road, demanding that the district administration remove the encroachment made by some persons allegedly enjoying political patronage. The members of the other group also blamed the protesters for blocking a drainage canal in the village. Therefore, heavy police force was rushed to the village to avert a clash. Today, the residents of a locality, situated behind Police Lines in Faridkot, blocked the Kotkapura-Faridkot road, accusing a police officer of encroaching upon a big portion of the drainage canal which was constructed to drain out rainwater. The residents, including women, sat on dharna and alleged that as there was no escape route for the rainwater due to the encroachment by the police officer, over 2000 houses in the locality were submerged under rainwater. Succumbing to public pressure, the district administration and the police swung into action and a JCB machine was called in to remove the encroachment. "The district administration is making efforts to help the people in this hour of crisis. We have sent the pumps to drain out water in some villages," said Ravi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot. Following a brawl between two groups of farmers in Wara Ka Daraka village of Faridkot over the drainage of rainwater, the members of one group blocked the Kotkapura-Muktsar road yesterday in the evening and demanded that the police and the civil administration prevail upon the other group to allow the drainage of water. "We are taking all precautionary measures and the administration is on high alert. The leave of all government employees has been cancelled so that any situation could be dealt with in an effective way," said Mohan Lal, ADC, Faridkot.
	Breach in Ghaggar inundates crops on 500 bighas Our Correspondent Abohar, August 18 A breach in Ghaggar river near village Chak 25 GB in neighbouring Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan has wreaked havoc on cotton, guar and moong pulse crop in 300 bighas and paddy grown in 200 bighas of land. Preliminary investigation reportedly indicated that the pipes put in by a farmer to carry more water resulted in the disaster. Notably, Ghaggar originates from the Shivalik foothills and flows towards north-east. It enters Punjab in Dera Bassi near village Kakrali and passes through Patiala, Sangrur and Bathinda districts of Punjab. It leaves Punjab near village Moonak after covering a distance of about 180 km before entering Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts. As per the available information 570 cusecs of water had touched Chetak point in Ghaggar last evening. Assistant engineer in the Water Resources Department Jagdev Singh, who is based at Jaitsar, reportedly alerted villagers and patwaris but the department did not take preventive measures. Tehsildar Ashok Khatri and SHO Bhawani Singh Charan reached the site along with patwaris and the other staff. Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers from six villages rushed to village 25GB carrying spades, empty bags and tractor-trolleys.
	War veterans strike a chord with Army officials Our Correspondent Ferozepur, August 18 Sharing their experience of the 1962 Indo-China war besides the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the Army war veterans struck an emotional chord with the officers and men belonging to the Golden Arrow Division during a rare interaction organised at Mamdot Mall here in the cantonment. Army sources said the effort was part of a larger perception management initiative undertaken by the division during which besides an interactive session, other events like medical camp and felicitation ceremony for the war veterans was also held. Army officials said the move was aimed at addressing the problems being faced by war veterans and to educate them about various facilities being extended to them by the central and state governments. “Most of all, the idea was to reconnect with war veterans and assure them that the nation and the Army values their contributions in various wars,” said another military official, adding that the forces will always remain indebted to them. A medical camp was also organised on the occasion in which the war veterans received medical assistance. A series of lectures giving details of various welfare schemes, pension aspects and other facilities were also delivered by experts. Army officials said war veterans were also informed about various initiatives undertaken by Golden Arrow Division for ex-servicemen and 'Veer Naris’. Later, the GOC, Golden Arrow Division, also addressed the interactive session and assured the war veterans that all efforts will be made by the Army to look after its heroes. Army officials said a total of 45 veterans who fought various wars attended the function. Another decorated officer, Colonel YP Rampal (retd), while sharing his own experiences, thanked the Army officials for organising this rare event.
	Medical seats: Row over domicile rages on Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, August 18 The controversy over the bona fide residence of 20 new entrants to the medical colleges of Punjab continues to rage further as over two dozen aspiring doctors and their parents have now filed a writ petition in the court, accusing the new entrants of falsely certifying themselves as residents of Punjab in order to get admission illegally. Earlier, a complaint had been filed with the Faridkot police in this regard. It has been alleged that 20 students from other states took admission in the medical colleges of Punjab in the state quota, claiming to be bona fide residents of the state. State quota is only for bona fide residents. Faridkot police has already started an inquiry after it received a complaint four days back. In the complaint to the police, the parents of some aspirants demanded legal action against these 20 selected candidates for giving an alleged false undertaking, thereby violating Clause 18 of the Punjab Government notification, dated June 5 this year. "Besides a complaint to the police, we have filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the court has issued a notice of motion to all these 20 candidates and the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) for August 26," said Dr Sanjiv Sethi, one of the petitioners. Dr SS Gill, Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS, said the university has already issued directions to all the newly selected candidates to give a fresh undertaking about their appearance in counselling only in Punjab. The candidates will submit these undertakings to their respective allotted medical colleges, said the Vice-Chancellor.