Kapurthala, Oct 4: A forecast of heavy rain on October 6 and 7 has triggered fresh anxiety among residents of flood-hit villages in Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi, where people are still recovering from the devastation caused by the Beas River’s overflowing earlier this year. Many fear that renewed rainfall could undo weeks of hard work spent repairing damaged dhussi bundhs (earthen embankments) and destroy whatever remains of their homes and farmlands.
In the low-lying Mand villages, where the floods had left a trail of destruction, residents—assisted by volunteers and local social groups—have been working round the clock to strengthen embankments. “We fear a fresh spell of rainfall may further damage whatever little is left of the village,” said Gurnishan Singh, a resident of Rampur Gaura, whose home was washed away in the last floods. “The breach in the Rampur Gaura bundh led to the river changing its course.”
Two major breaches at Ahli Kalan and Baupur have already been plugged, while work continues at another breach site in Baupur. The biggest challenge remains at Rampur Gaura, where the river’s altered flow poses an ongoing threat to nearby settlements.
Paramjit Singh, a Baupur resident leading local relief efforts, said villagers were racing against time. “Rain warnings for the coming week have left everyone anxious. Showers will halt our bundh-strengthening work, and any further damage will delay wheat sowing,” he said. “We need hundreds of tractors, sand, and metal crates to reinforce the embankments at Rampur Gaura and nearby areas. Many homes are still unsafe.”
Officials, however, maintain that preparations are in place. Khushwinder Singh, SDO of the Drainage Department, said about 16,000–17,000 cusecs of water were currently being released from the Dhilwan barrage. “The department is fully prepared amid the rain warning. No major damage is anticipated in flood-affected villages,” he noted.
But on the ground, the mood remains tense. For families still living in partially repaired homes and working to reclaim silted fields, the approaching rain spells not just inconvenience—but the fear of another disaster.
