CHANDIGARH: Due to continuous rain in Himachal Pradesh, the swollen Beas river has breached temporary bunds, inundating more than dozen villages in the Mand area of Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath in Kapurthala district of Punjab. More than 4,000 acres of agricultural land and other residential areas have been submerged.Meanwhile, affected farmers have taken shelter on the ramp of dhussi bund and rooftops to save themselves from flood waters. Sources said that the worst-affected villages identified as Baupur, Bhaini Bahadur, Kadar Baksh, Baupur Jadid, Baupur Kadim, Rampur Gaura, Sangra, Middhewal and Passan Kadim. Villagers have loaded the trucks and tempos to shift their belongings to safer places. Meanwhile, others, unable to shift at such a short time, moved their grains and belongings to the upper floors of houses.Jarnail Singh resident of Baupur village said that the affected the villagers have shifted to safer places and added that thousands of acres of standing crops have been submerged under five to six feet of water. “Water has already reached the lower levels of our houses; we need boats even to travel through our own village,” he said.Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, who visited the flood-affected villages, said, a breach near Baupur village has caused massive damage to standing crops of paddy, which were submerged under four to five feet of water.Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal visited Baupur Jadid in the mand area, travelling by tractor to personally engage with farmers and residents. He reviewed the ongoing flood prevention and relief measures, confirming that the water flow in the Beas River is currently stable at 1.05 lakh cusecs, with no increase reported in the last 12 hours and emphasised that the Dhussi bund remains fully secure, urging the public to remain calm and avoid panic.
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