Rising water levels devastate villages and destroy crops

Ferozepur, July 26, 2023: Rising water levels in the Sutlej River have resulted in the inundation of several villages, including Baggewala, RukneWala, Dheera Ghara, Nihala Lavera, Bandala, and Nihale Wala, which has led to extensive destruction of paddy crops, inflicting a severe blow to local farmers.

Farmers who had recently replanted crops following previous flood damage are now facing the devastating impact of yet another round of flooding. Gurpreet Singh from Baghewala village, who had to replant his three-acre paddy field after the first flood, laments the financial loss. If his land remains inundated, he may not be able to plant any crops this year.

The situation in Kaluwala village is particularly dire, with residents trapped in flood conditions for the past 16 days. Isolated from the rest of the civilization due to the Sutlej River and border fencing, the village has seen four houses collapse completely, while several others are submerged. For over two weeks, villagers have been seeking refuge in a local primary school.

Farmers with land on the other side of the border fencing, are also suffering due to the rising water levels. Karan Singh Dhaliwal, Secretary of the Border Kissan Union (Punjab), shares that the farmers from DT Mal enclave, who have land across the fencing, are losing everything. They had stored various farming equipment, including 40 tractor trailers and a harvesting machine in the fields, which are likely now severely damaged. The Border Security Force has restricted these farmers from assessing the damage. Furthermore, a significant wooden structure (bera), built by these farmers to transport equipment, has been swept away. Dhaliwal calls for the administration to provide a 40ft x 13ft wooden boat and replace their tools.

Chief Agriculture Officer, Rajinder Kamboj, confirmed that over 13,000 acres of land have been impacted by the floods. The full extent of the loss can only be determined after official land assessments ("girdawaris"). He noted that while most farmers in this area predominantly cultivate paddy, some grow maize, moong, green fodder, and vegetables such as pumpkin, zucchini, and taro root (Arbi).