Revetments to be raised at Beas to prevent soil erosion

Farmers of Verowal and Darapur Mand villages, who have been crying for attention to their crops which often get damaged due to the frequent increase in the water level of the Beas river, hope that their woes would come to an end soon with the visit of Beas MLA Santokh Singh Bhalaipur.

The MLA along with officials of the district administration recently visited the area and issued instructions to the officials concerned to come up with a proposal for installation of revetment to check soil erosion, particularly on the right side of the river.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal said an estimate of more than Rs 2.83 crore had been prepared for the purpose with which the 28 studs and revetment in up to three kilometres would be erected. The boulders, weighing between 16 and 40 kg, would be purchased soon. "Once the estimate is approved by the government, the work will begin under the supervision of the drainage wing," he said.

Gurjit Singh, sarpanch of Verowal village, said the river was inflicting crop damage in the villages nearby. "In just six months, about 150 acres of land belonging to a number of farmers has been eroded. Around 1,000 acres of land can be saved from erosion," he said.

The sarpanch had welcomed the move of the MLA and the administration. He appealed to the administration to complete the work before the coming monsoon.

Girls excel in exams

The girls of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sarhali, Tarn Taran, have excelled in the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) exams. Principal Sumi Arora said Baljinder Kaur, a student of MA (History), first semester, Jaspreet Kaur of MA (History) third semester and Rajwinder Kaur of MA (Economics) first semester bagged first positions in the district. Rajwant Kaur of MA (History) first semester, Mandeep Kaur of MA (History) third semester and Prabhdeep Kaur of MA (Economics) third semester stood second in the district. Baba Sukha Singh, on behalf of the college management, hailed the students' hard work.

FIR against 3 women

The involvement of women in illegal activities seems to have been increasing with the each passing day. The district police registered three cases against women on April 17. The Goindwal Sahib police arrested Pooja, alias Rupa, of Latiawal in Sultanpur Lodhi and seized 255 gm of heroin. Meanwhile, another woman, Kanti, a resident of Vein Poin village, was caught for possessing 75,000 ml of illicit liquor. The Sadar police came across a female foetus on the outskirts of Kang village. A case has been registered against the unidentified woman. SSP Darshan Singh Mann said the police were quite vigilant to nail criminals and women SHOs had been appointed at certain police stations in the district.

Contributed by Gurbax Puri