Flood threat looms over border villages in Punjab

CHANDIGARH - Threat of inundation looms over scores of villages of the border district of Ferozepur in Punjab as the Satluj river was overflowing because Pakistan was diverting flood waters on its side of the boundary into it.

Several thousand acres of land have been submerged and flood waters have entered six-seven villages in Ferozepur district till Saturday morning.

“It seems that Pakistan has diverted the flood water towards the Indian territory, leading to an alarming rise in the water level of Satluj,” Punjab’s chief engineer (irrigation) Amarjit Singh Dullat told IANS.

“It can affect scores of low-lying villages of Ferozepur and other border districts of India,” he added.

“Rescue work is on and we are monitoring the situation. But if Pakistan does not stop diverting its flood water towards India, the situation will become really difficult to handle,” Dullat said.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Friday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the issue of heavy flow of water into the Satluj river from Pakistan side.

Meanwhile, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said it would substantially reduce the release of water from the Bhakra Dam into the Satluj river.

“BBMB has observed a major decline in the inflow from various sources and rainfall has also reduced in the catchment areas. They have officially said they will reduce the release of water in the Satluj river,” Dullat said.

According to the guidelines approved by the board, the Bhakra reservoir can be filled maximum up to 1,680-foot level. The water level reached the 1,675-foot mark by Friday evening and the inflow was around 40,000 cusecs.

In the neighbouring state of Haryana, water level in the Yamuna river, which was flowing near danger mark for the last many days, also has come down.

“Water level is gradually receding in the Yamuna river and very soon things will become normal. However, we have alerted the deputy commissioners of various districts to remain extra cautious and ready to tackle any emergency,” a Haryana government official said here.

Last month, nearly a dozen villages of Punjab and Haryana were severely affected by floods due to which over 50 people were killed.