Traffic movement restricted: Swollen Buddha Nullah floods more localities
Along with the road heading towards Kundanpuri, the road opposite the bus depot of the Municipal Corporation on Tajpur road had been closed for traffic, suspecting damage to the road portion due to the rise in the water level
Strap: Police teams barricade routes, as vulnerable points along the nullah are being fortified using JCBs
: As the level of water in the Buddha Nullah recorded an alarming rise on Wednesday, the water flooded more areas, including roads, after which the traffic movement on several roads along the nullah has been restricted as a precautionary measure.
Police teams barricaded the routes, as vulnerable points along the nullah are being fortified using JCBs.
Along with the road heading towards Kundanpuri, the road opposite the bus depot of the Municipal Corporation on Tajpur road had been closed for traffic, suspecting damage to the road portion due to the rise in the water level.
Several old bridges over the Buddha Nullah, including Gaushala Road and Shivpuri, were also flooded due to the rise in the water level leading to panic in the area. The underpass along the nullah near Chander Nagar also remained closed for traffic as it remained flooded.
Due to the overflow of the Buddha Nullah, water entered into residential localities, including Chander Nagar, New Deep Nagar, Pavitar Nagar, Kundanpuri, Madhopuri, Vivek Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Ranjit Singh Park and New Kundanpuri and Shivpuri.
A number of peripheral areas were also flooded due to the overflow, including the area hosting the common effluents treatment plant on Tajpur Road.
Kulwinder Singh, a resident of New Deep Nagar, said, “As the banks of the Buddha Nullah at several areas were breached, the rise in the level of water has put the residents under fear.” He added that the streets are lying flooded with sewage and rainwater, and they are scared to leave their houses which is also taking a toll on their financial health.
The areas along the nullah also house several industrial units, and the flood-like situation in the areas has also affected their day-to-day work. Surinder Singh, who owns a textile unit in Shivpuri, said, “As the workers are unable to visit, the unit has been lying closed for the last seven days and the situation continues to get more severe with each passing day.”
While visiting the affected areas, Municipal Corporation chief Shena Aggarwal directed the officials to further expedite the process to strengthen the nullah and pump out accumulated water from the affected areas around the nullah.
She said that the water level in the nullah has increased due to the excessive flow of water from upstream areas and the civic body is continuously monitoring the situation. Machinery has been deployed to clean the nullah and pump out accumulated water from the affected areas adjoining the nullah. Fogging is also being done in the areas to save the residents from vector-borne diseases, she added.
Safety assessment of all bridges underway: DC
Deputy commissioner (DC) Surabhi Malik on Wednesday said that a safety assessment of all bridges over Budha Dariya and the Sutlej river in the district is underway to prevent any mishap.
While visiting the affected villages in Samrala, Macchiwara and Koom Kalan areas today, she said following the assessment, the bridges, if found unsafe, will be closed temporarily to avoid any mishap. She also asked the people to avoid using the bridges for the time being.
The DC said that the water level of Buddha Dariya could rise for another day as the floodwater from fields has now started moving into Budha Dariya. She said that the situation is expected to improve in the coming days.
She said more than 50,000 sandbags will be available in the district by Wednesday evening that would be used for plugging overflows/breaches, if any.
Panchayats keep night vigil to guard embankments
To keep a constant watch on the flow of the floodwater in the Doraha canal, ‘thikri pehra’ or night vigil in the villages helped in safeguarding the embankments.
Teams of the administration along with the Army and residents of the nearby villages, including Rajgarh, Katana and Rampur, remained on the fields and ensured the situation did not go out of hand. The Sirhind canal near Doraha has reported two breaches so far which were plugged immediately with the collective efforts of all stakeholders. They kept a hawk eye on the flow of the canal, carried soil in their tractors and dumped it on the embankments to strengthen them besides keeping sandbags ready to deal with any situation.
Payal SDM Jasleen Kaur Bhullar said that priority was given to immediate strengthening of the embankments besides safe evacuation of people from areas. She said that public announcements were made through gurdwaras and other worship places. She said that Mgnrega workers were also deployed to fill sandbags.
