Flood threat looms due to slow khud channelisation

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, July 14

Farmers of Rit gram panchayat in Nurpur, who lost 125 kanals of agriculture land last monsoon season when the Chhonchh khud had flooded their land, are a harried lot. They are facing another flood threat as the khud channelisation work is going on at a snail’s pace.

As per information, 44 farmers had lost their land to sand and gravel brought by the flooded Chhonchh khud. The panchayat has been left with around 275 kanal agriculture land out of 400 kanals after flash flood.

Many farmers said the government had approved the channelisation project for the Chhonchh khud a few years ago but the work was yet to start. “We are spending sleepless nights as flash floods can submerge our fertile land any time. Officials of the local administration, who examined their land after flash floods last year, had announced financial relief but not a penny was released,” they said.

Suresh Singh, president of the Kangra district Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKS), said the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department had almost completed channelisation work on the Chhonchh khud passing through Indora. He said the BKS had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister two months ago but nothing had been happened, causing a lot of resentment among farmers.