SOS call by activists saves earthen embankment from being breached by Sutlej

BATHINDA: A SOS call by ever-vigilant rural and social activists late on Saturday night stopped the dhussi bandh (earthen embankment) at Wara Kalirao village in the Makhu area of Ferozepur from being breached.

Upon uploading a small video message by Sanjha Zira Morcha activist Roman Brar and many others, they called on all those from nearby or even far-off villages who could reach immediately to leave their villages and reach the dhussi bandh with as many tractor trailers loaded with soil. The message went viral in minutes, and many started leaving for the vulnerable spot. Within an hour, many tractor trailers lined up for Wara Kalirao.

By Sunday morning, the villagers had turned the vulnerable point into a safer zone.Apart from Wara Kalirao, another SOS call was made about the vulnerability of the bandh at Rukewala village, also in the Makhu area, and many others thronged that place as well. The floodwater, though it started receding, still surged, and the Sutlej was taking its toll, causing erosion of soil at various points. The bandh, which in normal circumstances is up to 20 feet wide, remained less than 2 feet wide, with a very strong fear of it getting breached.

"If a breach occurred, it could have caused a big loss in many villages, and a call by us saved the worst from happening," said Roman, talking to TOI.Farm activist Avtar Singh Mehma, who also uploaded video messages on Saturday night for both vulnerable points, expressed some satisfaction on Sunday that the bandhs could be saved from breaches. "We urge the district administration to rope in the army and make arrangements for sandbags and boulders to stop the Sutlej water from causing any further damage, as people are in no position to bear any further loss," said Mehma.Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma visited Wara Kalirao on Sunday morning to supervise the rescue operation to strengthen the embankment, which weakened due to the water flow. She said that an NDRF team of around 30 people engaged overnight in fortifying the embankment. With the cooperation of villagers, sand trolleys, JCB machines, and local youth, the work of strengthening the embankment is continuously going on.

The villagers present at the spot mentioned that many villages lie around this area, and hence, from a safety perspective, this embankment is of great importance.