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Manmeet Singh Gill
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 24
The defence drain dug parallel to the International Border with Pakistan, with the twin purpose of creating a barrier for intruding enemy forces and check flooding in the area in case of excessive rains and decrease excess moisture in soil, is presently turning barren due to lack of upkeep.
Residents of many villages across the drain, which covers the entire length of Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, revealed that only two decades ago, the bank of the drain had fully grown trees. “Call it laxity on part of the law enforcement agencies or increase in mafia activity, we cannot see any fully grown tree as far as our sight goes,” said Joginder Singh of Chahal village.
The deep water channel dug up also had bunkers for the Armed forces. Apart from wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, personnel were stationed on the defence drain as a second defence line in case the first defence line on border fails to control intruding forces.
Even during the days of Sikh militancy in Punjab, the Army had been guiding the drain to keep a check on infiltration activity. “The drain plays an important role in this area. When the Army was here, nobody even dared to set foot on banks of the drain. Now, in case there is a need to station the Army, it would be difficult for them to stay here due to lack of shade and green cover,” said another resident.
For many villages across the drain, the only connection with the Indian side is the concrete bridges built decades ago. Presently, these bridges too are a nightmare for the residents due to their depilated condition. Around two years ago, seven children had lost their lives after a school bus fell into the drain near Mohawa.
An official of the Forest Department said, “We are trying to plant trees again on the banks of the drain. In fact, much activity has been done in this season.” He admitted that a large number of trees had been cut during the past some years. “We are trying hard to do the needful,” he added.
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