Crops on 6,000 acres damaged in Fazilka

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, August 25

Standing crops of paddy, maize, fodder, moong, etc., on about 6,000 acres has been inundated due to floods in Fazilka district. As many as 18 villages have been affected as Sutlej has been overflowing in the border belt.

Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Manpreet Singh Chhatwal said amid reports of Pakistan releasing poisonous water, teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the Drainage Department had taken water samples from Hussainiwala headworks, Gang Canal and Tindawali village of Ferozepur district. “The report will be out next week,” he added.

He ruled out the influx of blood and animal carcass from Pakistan side as reported by villagers.

Among the affected villages are Ghurka, Hasta Kalan, Dhandi Kadim, Walleshah Hithar, Dhandi Khurd, Teja Rohela, Mahatam Nagar, etc.

Appealing to the residents to stay away from gushing floodwaters, he said the administration had recommended compensation for 17-year-old Jagjit Singh who drowned two days ago in Dhandi Kadim village.

Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Davinder Kumar Bhukkal said medical camps in about 15 flood-affected villages were organised.

Fields near Sutlej still inundated

• Though the Sutlej water near Machhiwara is receding, fields in villages near the river banks are still inundated. 
• Mand Udhowal, Sensowal Kalan and some other villages are among the worst-hit. 
• Some farmers said about 400 acres of the fields were inundated and their paddy crop had been damaged. 
• They have appealed to the state government to make arrangements for draining out water from their fields.