JALANDHAR, Aug. 28 — In Shahkot’s Lohian block, the flood situation remains under control this year, but anxiety continues to grip low-lying villages such as Dhakka Basti and Gatta Mundi Kasu, which were battered by floods in 2019 and 2023. Many families are still struggling to rebuild homes lost in the earlier disasters.
Determined not to relive that trauma, villagers are working tirelessly to reinforce advanced embankments. Sandbags are being laid out in vulnerable stretches as community members take shifts guarding the riverbanks.
Sohan Lal, a government schoolteacher from Mandala, has been delivering sandbags to the site. “I cannot forget those horrifying days when floods devastated our region. This time, we are putting in our best efforts to protect the area. I also hope more youngsters come forward and contribute,” he said.
Local farmer Daler Singh, whose fields were destroyed in the last two floods, said, “We are praying to the Almighty that such a tragedy does not strike again.”
Many families have already shifted women and children to safer ground. “These are tense times, and the next few days will be crucial,” said Dr Bhupinder Singh, a physical education teacher and resident of Gatta Mundi Kasu, who has sent his own family away.
While officials say no immediate flood-like situation exists, the scars of past devastation have left residents vigilant, united in their resolve to safeguard their homes and farmland.
