Chandigarh, August 29: Authorities in Mohali, Panchkula and Chandigarh issued flood alerts on Friday after heavy overnight rainfall caused a sharp rise in the Ghaggar river and forced the opening of Sukhna Lake’s floodgates for the sixth time this monsoon season.
The Ghaggar, which originates in Himachal Pradesh and runs a 165-km course through Punjab, entered the state at Mubarikpur village in Mohali district, where it caused fresh losses. By 8 a.m., the river’s discharge had crossed 70,000 cusecs, prompting the administration to place nine villages in Dera Bassi — Tiwana, Khajoor Mandi, Sadhanpur, Sarsini, Alamgir, Dangdhera, Mubarikpur, Mirpur and Bakarpur — on high alert.
Dera Bassi SDM Amit Kumar said police, drainage and revenue officials had been deployed across vulnerable areas. “Everything is under control,” he maintained, as Mohali Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal visited Tiwana to review the situation. Officials said the Dehar-Alamgir-Tiwana link embankment remained a point of concern, recalling that a 4,500-ft breach here in 2023 had devastated farmland and led to extensive soil erosion. Many of the same villages had been affected last year, with as much as two feet of silt and sand left over their agricultural fields.
In Zirakpur, water from the overflowing Sukhna choe submerged the Baltana bridge, while flooding was also reported at the Mubarikpur causeway. Meanwhile, in Chandigarh, two of the three floodgates of Sukhna Lake were opened between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. after the water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet. The UT Engineering Department said staff are stationed at the lake round-the-clock with CCTV monitoring, while a dedicated control room is coordinating with Mohali and Panchkula administrations.
Panchkula district also reported fresh damage after a road near a bridge in Khatouli village, Barwala, collapsed due to rapid soil erosion caused by gushing rainwater beneath it. The cave-in has cut off easy access for villagers, leaving them dependent on alternative routes. Authorities have begun assessing the damage and advised locals to avoid the collapsed stretch until repairs are carried out.
Officials have urged residents in low-lying and riverbank areas across the Tricity to remain alert and follow instructions issued by district administrations as rainfall continues.
