Patiala, Sept 14 — Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday called on Punjab and Haryana to work together to resolve the decades-old Ghaggar river dispute, saying cooperation between the two states was essential to prevent recurring floods and devastation.
Kataria, who visited flood-affected villages along the Punjab-Haryana border in Patiala, said the “long-pending issue” required a mutual agreement between the two states, which should then be presented to the Supreme Court for settlement. “There is a need to have a detailed roadmap in place to solve this problem of floods,” he said while inspecting the water flow at Sarala Headworks.
Former Patiala MP and BJP leader Preneet Kaur joined farmers in submitting a memorandum to the Governor, citing large-scale destruction in villages including Sassi Brahmanan, Sassi Gujjran, Dharamhedi, Hashampur, Bhagwanpur and Sassa. The memorandum blamed the flooding on the obstruction of Ghaggar’s natural flow by the Hansi–Butana Canal. “Thousands of acres of fertile farmland have been submerged, forcing farmers and residents to face immense hardships,” the memorandum stated, adding that heavy silt deposits in the canal’s siphons and embankments had blocked natural discharge of water.
The Governor said widening the Ghaggar stretch from Makraud Sahib to Karail, along with expanding the Hansi–Butana Canal and its siphons, was necessary to improve water flow. He also held a meeting with the district administration, Army and drainage officials to review relief and rehabilitation measures.
Kataria stressed the need to reinforce embankments along the river and said Punjab had faced unprecedented losses this year, “even more severe than those of 1988.” He noted that a special girdawari had been launched to assess crop and property losses and praised the coordination among the administration, police, Army and local residents.
Responding to reporters, Kataria said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved Rs 1,600 crore as immediate relief for Punjab and assured further aid after the damage assessment. He also underlined the importance of real-time data on dam water levels and technical measures to reduce flood risks. While acknowledging that siltation had reduced the capacity of dams, he clarified there was “no threat to their safety.”
