Another breach in Ghaggar submerges Sardulgarh

The Ghaggar was flowing two feet above the danger mark (22 feet) when heavy rains and winds made things worse. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal,who visited the vulnerable areas on Sunday,had cautioned officials to exercise extra vigil on the embankments.

The breach occurred at some distance from the clogged passage of a bridge where the water level was gradually rising. The passage was clogged with uprooted plants and other waste materials,restricting the flow of water to the other side.

Mansa Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul said the passage was cleared of the waste material with the help of bulldozers earlier in the day.

Constructed in 1960,the height of the bridge had come under scanner after the 1995 floods. According to reports,it was recommended to raise the height of the bridge,but this was never done.

Officials are now finally getting fresh estimates from the drainage department on the correct height of the bridge. “The fresh parameters about the highest flood level will be sought from the drainage department and a proposal will be drafted to raise the height of the bridge,” said PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer Joginder Singh.

Singh,however,claimed that the bridge was declared “safe” during an inspection by a superintending engineer level officer about five days ago. “This is true that bottom area of the bridge is tilted towards one side. But,it has been so ever since it was constructed,” Singh added.

Meanwhile,the district administration and residents of Sardulgarh town and adjoining villages began efforts on war-footing to plug the breach. Efforts were also on to raise the level of Mansa-Sirsa road to check the flow of water to the other side of Sardulgarh town,mainly in the residential areas.

Mansa ADC (G) Tanu M Kashyap said 30 jawans of the National Disaster Response Force,equipped with six boats,were stationed at Sardulgarh town. She said there were no reports of anybody going missing after the breach as residents had been told to move to safer places.

Till the filing of this report,there were no signs of the flood water receding.

Financial Commissioner Revenue Romila Dubey visited the areas to take stock of the situation.

Sukhbir orders survey to assess losses
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday ordered a comprehensive survey of losses incurred by the government in the recent floods in seven districts of the state. Reviewing the flood situation during a meeting with Chief Secretary S C Agrawal and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister D S Guru,Sukhbir said these floods were a challenge before the Punjab government. “We should make all efforts to restore the damaged infrastructure within the shortest possible time,” he said,adding that the focus of the government at present was to provide relief to the flood-affected people. Immediately after the water recedes,he said,the government machinery should work overtime to complete the restoration task. Sukhbir issued instructions to the agriculture department to procure sufficient quantity of seeds to be supplied to farmers to sow crops once the flood water recedes. He was informed that over 1,967-kilometre road network had been completely damaged in the floods. Sukhbir also called upon the party cadre at the grass root level on Monday to fan out to the flood-hit areas and make collective efforts to provide relief to people.