Explainer: How ill-maintained drains are flooding thousands of acres in Fazilka

Heavy rainfall during the past few days has damaged standing crops on around 20,000 acres in Fazilka district. Farmers have reportedly been managing affairs on their own, with “little assistance” from the local administration.

About four dozen drains and nullahs of various capacities were carved out in Fazilka district in the last three decades to flush out water from villages affected by waterlogging, but some of them have become the bane for local residents due to their ill-maintenance.

Overflowing water and breaches were reported in some of the major drains, including Abul Khurana, Sabuana, Khui Khera and Korian Wali, resulting in inundation of standing crops.

A breach more than 100 feet wide occurred on the Sabuana drain, which wreaked havoc as standing cotton and paddy crops in thousands of acres were submerged in knee-deep water in the village.

Areas that have been affected

Sources said that the rain water accumulated on about 3,000 acres in Kabul Shah Khuban, 1,500 acres in Tahliwala Bodla, 1,200 acres in Shajrana, 1,000 acres in Kheo Wali Dhab, 800 acres each in Bare Ka and Chahla Wali villages, besides the flooding of hundreds of acres in other villages of the district.

The Abul Khurana and Khui Khera drains of Abohar subdivision in Fazilka district have also left several villages, including Waryam Khera, Dhingan Wali, Rukanpura, alias Khui Khera, Patti Billa and Dalmir Khera, inundated.

Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar said that rainwater entered the orchards in five villages including Maujgarh, Diwan Khera, Sappan Wali, Dalmir Khera and Khuian Sarwar. “If the rainwater is not drained in another three days, the kinnow and other fruits will be damaged extensively,” he said.

What’s causing the floods?

Jakhar alleged that there were no drives to clean the drains. “The situation was getting worse despite crores of rupees being spent every year on the maintenance of drains and canals,” he claimed. He has also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, in this regard.

District administration officials said that to prevent breaches, the escape gates of the canals were opened to divert the water into the drains. However, due to the alleged ill-maintenance, the drains could not accommodate the release of excess water coupled by incessant rain, resulting in further overflowing and breaches.

Official sources said 37 villages in Fazilka district had been identified that were waterlogged. When the excess water is released and heavy downpour is experienced, the problem aggravates in these villages.

Most of the affected farmers said that in the absence of proper cleanliness of the drains, the situation becomes worse. The drains erode at several places and the overflowing water enters agriculture fields resulting in the damage to cotton, paddy and maize crops in some parts in more than 20,000 acres of land.

How are the authorities tackling the situation

According to officials, the rain and overflowing water covered 14,600 acres of land in Fazilka subdivision and about 6,000 acres in Abohar subdivision. They said that carrying out cleanliness of drains was mandatory three months ahead of the monsoon season.

Gurvir Singh Sidhu, XEN, Drainage Department, Fazilka, claimed that the water had started receding and the situation would turn normal in a couple of days due to prompt action taken by the department.

Brushing aside the allegation of cleanliness not being carried out, Sidhu said that had the cleaning not been done properly, the water would not have receded from the fields into the drains.

Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu, when contacted, said that the orders for conducting special girdawari would be issued soon. She added that sufficient funds were being released to provide relief to the affected areas.

When asked about a permanent solution of the problem as the farmers have to suffer almost every year, she said that the bunds of the drains should be strengthened to prevent breaches and problems of over-flowing.

Experts also suggested that for a permanent solution, underground pipes need to be laid between low-lying and waterlogged areas to drains and nullahs for flushing out excess water promptly.

Punjab