Flood Relief Efforts Showcase Government-Community Synergy in Punjab’s Tarn Taran District

Chandigarh, August 28: In the wake of recent floods, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s guidance has paved the way for comprehensive relief efforts in flood-affected villages. Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer shared that the state’s water resources department, working tirelessly around the clock, has been actively providing relief to those impacted.

The department’s efficiency was strikingly evident during the crisis, particularly when addressing the breach in the embankment of the Sutlej River at Ghuram Village in Tarn Taran District. Minister Meet Hayer disclosed that a formidable combined peak flow of 2,84,947 cusecs water was released from the Bhakra Dam and Pong Dam. This deluge coursed through Harike Headworks into the Sutlej River over a 19-hour period from August 18, 12 noon, to August 19, 7:00 a.m.

The sustained high flow exerted immense pressure on the river’s embankments, already weakened by July’s floods. Overnight on August 18th and 19th, the continuous high discharge started eroding sections of the right embankment in Tarn Taran District.

Minister Meet Hayer highlighted the swift preventive measures undertaken by local villagers, departmental personnel, and machinery along a 1000-foot length of the embankment throughout the night of August 19th. While most of the embankment was saved, the rapid decline in river discharge on August 19th afternoon led to the sloughing of the saturated riverbank earth, causing a breach in the already fragile embankment.

Prompt restoration work ensued, with multiple teams from different Punjab districts, including Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, and Amritsar, supplying earth-filled bags to the breach site. A remarkable 2.66 lakh earth-filled bags were contributed by fellow Division Offices. Despite the emergency, department officers collaborated cohesively, efficiently plugging the 350-foot breach with an average depth of approximately 28 feet by August 28, 2023.

Crucially, the initiative displayed the significance of cohesive efforts by government bodies and local communities during times of crisis. The synergy between authorities and social organizations exemplifies the vital role they play in safeguarding public welfare and infrastructure in the face of natural disasters, underscoring their importance in public life.

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