Rats ‘trigger’ breach in Bhakra canal at Patiala; timely action averts flooding

Perhaps it’s time for the Punjab Irrigation Department to have a Pied Piper to lead rats away from canals and ensure they do not weaken canal banks and cause flooding.

A breach in the Bhakra Main Line near Passiana village in Patiala today was reported timely and plugged that saved acres of nearby fields from flooding.

Irrigation officials were quick to blame rats for the breach. Later, two Punjab Cabinet ministers visited the breach site and “directed the officials to tackle the rat menace properly to avoid such incidents in the future”.

Hundreds of rats in the vicinity of the canal continue to make burrows on the canal bank walls and dig deep when the water level is down. “Sometimes, they dig too deep and weaken the bank walls, which can lead to breach of water from these holes. This is exactly what happened in Patiala today,” said an official.

Punjab Minister for Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Barinder Kumar Goyal today directed the Irrigation Department to “carry out on-ground inspections of all canals” across the state as “rats create burrows during periods of low water flow”.

The Cabinet Minister expressed satisfaction that due to the alertness of the department, the leakage in the Bhakra Main Line was identified and plugged in time. “Recently, the water level in the canal was lowered for repair work and when the water was released again on May 21, a leakage was detected near Passiana. Officials are thoroughly inspecting the entire canal line and will repair if any weak embankments are found,” he said.

Rats have dug deep burrows near the canal banks, leading to loose soil near the boundaries, which can lead to breaches.

“These burrows can have multiple entrances and exits, forming complex underground networks. The main entrance to a rat burrow is usually 2 to 4 inches in diameter and it expands around the opening,” said a former Chief Engineer with the Irrigation Department. “Regular inspection is the key since rodent treatment is not an option as it will be a cumbersome and an expensive way to get rid of burrows,” he said.

Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh said officials should hire a professional agency to get rid of the rat menace. “The primary cause of leakage is digging of burrows by rodents along the canal banks. This results from the practice of placing grain and rice near the edges. Rodents store this food, weakening the canal’s structure from within and increasing the risk of water seepage or breaches. It is important to use fool-proof methods to avoid such incidents,” he said.

Punjab