Farmers suffer heavy crop losses after Ghaggar River breaches in Patiala

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Patiala, July 12

Hundreds of acres of crops have been destroyed in several villages of Patiala’s Ghanaur constituency after floodwaters from the Ghaggar River inundated agricultural land following breaches at two locations.

Although the water level in the Ghaggar has receded slightly compared to the previous day, the extensive damage to farmland has left farmers worried about their losses.

Speaking at the site, farmers said the flooding occurred after the river breached at two points. They alleged that breaches left open after last year’s flooding had not been repaired, despite repeated concerns.

According to the farmers, the unrepaired breaches near the villages of Untsar and Kami Khurd allowed floodwaters to spill into surrounding fields, resulting in widespread destruction of standing crops.

The affected farmers expressed disappointment over the losses, saying the flooding could have been prevented had the damaged embankments been repaired in time.

SGPC member Jasmer Singh Lachharu also criticised the government’s handling of flood prevention measures. He alleged that the local MLA had failed to undertake any meaningful work related to the Ghaggar despite the issue persisting for years.

Lachharu further claimed that although several crores of rupees had been allocated this year for the cleaning and maintenance of the Ghaggar River, there was no visible evidence that the funds had been utilised effectively.

Interviews with local residents and farmers were conducted near the Ghaggar bridge in Kami Khurd village, where those affected reiterated their concerns over recurring flooding and demanded timely preventive measures to avoid similar losses in the future.