Yamuna bank erosion at 2 places creates panic

Karnal, July 17

Although floodwater has started receding in the Yamuna, erosion along the banks of the river at two places — Khirajpur and Lalupura — created panic among residents living along these points. The district administration has pressed the machinery of the Irrigation Department to strengthen the banks, said an official.

The Irrigation Department and locals were busy strengthening the banks with the help of bags filled with sand and mud to prevent breaches in bundhs, which are only a few feet away from these points.

Gharaunda MLA Harvinder Kalyan and Deputy Commissioner Anish Yadav, along with senior officials of the Irrigation Department, reviewed the situation and checked the strengthening work at both the points. The authorities fear if the banks were not strengthened, it may be dangerous and can add to the problems.

“I visited the site and directed the officials to expedite the work to stop erosion. We have to put an extra effort so that people would not suffer more due to erosion,” said Kalyan.

DC Yadav said efforts were being made to control the erosion. Stones were being used to control it. “Both points can be dangerous if these were not strengthened on time. I have directed the officials of the Irrigation Department to use iron wires to tie stones to avoid any erosion,” said the DC.

As floodwater created havoc in the villages along the Yamuna, Kalyan, along with residents of various villages, performed havan near a bundh at Lalupur, praying for the Yamuna river to ‘calm down’. “It is an old ritual of the villagers to calm down the river. We performed and prayed to the Yamuna to calm down,” said Kalyan.

Earlier, the DC took a round of the river on a tractor and checked the works being carried out there to control flood.

The bundhs at Garhpur Tapu and Musepur villages, which were breached earlier last week, and now plugged, were being strengthened.

Meanwhile, Kaithal DC Jagdish Sharma also reviewed the situation in the villages in the Cheeka block in the district. They have opened the Cheeka-Patiala road to traffic, which was washed away in floods. However, the water level in the Ghaggar was still 23.4 feet. As soon as the water level comes down, they will expedite the work to plug the breaches, the DC added.