Tangri threat returns: Ambala braces for monsoon fury
Each monsoon season, the Tangri becomes a source of anxiety for hundreds of residents living along its banks in Ambala. What should be a natural seasonal flow transforms into a destructive torrent, thanks to unchecked encroachments and stalled flood-control measures.
Tangri, a seasonal river originating in the Shivalik foothills, swells rapidly during heavy rainfall. Colonies built on the riverbed and its periphery bear the brunt when water levels rise, leaving families to salvage what remains of their belongings.
“In 2023, Tangri wreaked havoc in our colonies. For 20-25 years we never saw such damage,” recalls Pawas Aggarwal, a resident of Prabhu Prem Puram. “People lost between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh worth of property — furniture, cars, electronics and everything. Despite repeated appeals, no adequate steps have been taken. There’s panic every time clouds gather. If there’s another flood, losses will be massive.”
Residents’ fears are not unfounded. Two years ago, the river overflowed its banks, inflicting significant damage in both residential areas and the nearby industrial zone. When families returned to their homes, they found water-logged rooms, destroyed furniture and machinery buried under layers of sludge.
A key issue is the unchecked development of unauthorised colonies on the riverbed. Although the land technically belongs to individuals for agricultural use only, many have constructed permanent structures over time, narrowing the river’s natural channel and hampering water flow.
Despite multiple appeals, permanent solutions remain elusive. A 2019 proposal to channelise the Tangri and build retaining walls along a 2-km stretch from Jagadhri Bridge downstream received in-principle approval but was never implemented.
In a recent initiative to mitigate flood risk, a collaborative project was launched in 2023-24. The Irrigation Department, NHAI, and the Municipal Council Ambala Sadar signed an MoU to deepen the riverbed by six feet. The excavated earth from Ambala Cantonment is being repurposed for the Ambala Ring Road project.
“The department has issued tenders for desilting. Notices were also served to people who built illegally on the riverbed, and the issue has been flagged to the Town and Country Planning Department,” said an Irrigation Department official.
Krishan Kumar, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, said, “Desilting work is ongoing, and we are removing bottlenecks. The target was to complete work by the end of June, but it might take a few more days. With the deeper riverbed, the water-carrying capacity has improved. All necessary measures are being taken.”
SDM Ambala Cantonment Vinesh Kumar said, “We’re also upgrading pumphouses to drain water efficiently from colonies. Construction and encroachments are legal concerns we are actively pursuing. We urge the public to refrain from building on the riverbed — it only worsens the risk of flooding.”
Haryana Tribune