Beas in spate, ravages villages in Bholath, Begowal, Sultanpur Lodhi, Baupur belt in Kapurthala district

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, August 17

Over 20 villages in Bholath, Begowal, Sultanpur Lodhi and Baupur belt in Kapurthala have been affected by floods.

Merely a week after a breach at the dhussi bundh at Baupur Kadim village was plugged, the mand area has again been flooded with the Beas being in spate, reducing 21 days of ‘kar sewa’ to a nought. There is a breach at the main dhussi bundh on the Beas at Baupur Kadim village. Flood waters have entered Bholath first time since 1988.

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• Villages situated along the Sutlej have been submerged again following the release of water from Harike Headworks
• The district administration has announced shutting down of 15 government schools in these villages till August 26
• The administration has deputed more than 500 jawans of the Army, BSF and Punjab Police for the rescue operations

Amanpreet Singh, Begowal resident, extending ‘kar sewa’ in Bholath’s flood-affected areas, said, “We are getting rescue calls from villagers. Over 200 persons have been rescued from various villages. As many as 38 workers deputed on the Delhi-Katra Expressway have also been rescued. Talwandi Kuka and Nangal Mand villages are the worst-affected and NDRF teams are on rescue operations.”

Joginder Singh and Harjit Singh, brothers based in Ibrahimwal village in Kapurthala, have lost 95 acres of their paddy and other crops.

Harjit Singh said, “I had sown paddy on 70 acres and my brother had on 25 acres. The floods have pushed us back by 10 years. We took loans. Now, all crop is gone. Agriculture is no more a viable profession.”

Harjit said villagers feared a breach in Chakkokiwala village near Dhilwan.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Captain Karnail Singh on Thursday visited the areas located on the embankment of the Beas from Dhilwan to Talwandi Kuka, where he inspected the ongoing rescue works. He said the situation would be normal in the next 24 hours. The DC said nearly 280 people had been rescued from mand areas so far while around 20-25 persons were reluctant to leave their houses.