Punjab: Several villages in Mukerian subdivision have been inundated by floodwaters as the Beas river overflowed due to incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh. Hundreds of people living in villages situated along the Beas river have moved to safer places. Paddy and sugarcane crops spread over hundreds of acres are still submerged. The water level of the Beas river is rising rapidly after more water was released from the Chakki River and Pong Dam in Pathankot on Sunday. As a result, the Dhussi dam at Motala village and Haled Janardan in Mukerian and another dam at Mehtabpur village have been damaged. Villages adjoining the river – Motala, Haled Janardan, Kolian 418, Mehtabpur, Miani Malahan, Kalota, Nowshera Pattan etc. – have been submerged in floodwaters.
Heavy rains in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur and Himachal Pradesh since morning have created an atmosphere of fear among the local residents. Besides, green fodder is also not available for the animals. A 30-foot-high wall of the Government Senior Secondary School in Mehtabpur village has collapsed. Similarly, a road constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has also been damaged at several places. A large portion of the road connecting Kolian 418 to Motala and Mehtabpur has been damaged. Farmer Varinder Pal Singh said, “If the government had learnt a lesson from the 2023 floods, the damage could have been minimal and people would not have to migrate.”
Minister, officials took stock
On Monday, Cabinet Minister Barinder Goyal, MP Dr Rajkumar Chabbewal, Dasuha MLA Karamveer Ghuman, Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain and other officials visited the flood-affected areas and took stock of the damage. The minister said a special girdawari would be conducted to ensure adequate compensation. He also promised compensation for damage to livestock and buildings. He said the government was monitoring the situation round the clock. “The Punjab government has spent Rs 276 crore on flood prevention works,” he claimed.
