It is pertinent to mention here that Badi Nadi had wreaked havoc during last year’s monsoon season, causing flooding in residential areas on embankments. Constantly, the army had to be called to rescue people. The district administration claimed that it was the election code of conduct owing to the recently held general parliamentary election they couldn’t award the work to clean rain rivulets and drains in the district.

Patiala deputy commissioner (DC) Showkat Ahmad Parre, when asked about the delay in cleaning of rain rivulets, said, “Taking proactive steps, we had sought permission from the Election Commission of India to float tenders to clean the rivulets when the election code of conduct was in place. There was however a slight delay in getting approval. We floated the tenders as soon as we got the approval and awarded the work of desilting. The cleaning work will be completed in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Punjab Mahila Morcha president Jai Inder Kaur expressed concern over the lack of preparations for the monsoon season, hoping that last year’s mistakes won’t be repeated. “The memories of the devastation last year are still fresh. It is unacceptable that the Punjab government has not taken necessary measures to prevent a repeat of the disaster,” she said.

She further said, “The lack of proper cleaning and maintenance of these rivulets and drains may lead to severe flooding during the rainy season. It is the responsibility of the concerned authorities to ensure that the drains are cleared of all obstructions and debris to prevent waterlogging and flooding.”

Rajinder Ghai, superintending engineer of the drainage department, said, “The wild weed from the Badi Nadi will be removed in a day or two. We did try to clean it with machines but couldn’t complete it. We will clean it manually in a day or two. The debris in the Chotti Nadi, which is only at a few places, will be cleaned soon.”

Jalandhar DC reviews flood preparations

Jalandhar deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal visited the Sutlej river in Shahkot to review the flood preparation works on Wednesday. He inspected the ongoing desilting work in the river. Aggarwal highlighted the urgency of this task, directing officials to expedite the pace of desilting to complete the project before the onset of heavy rains. “It is critical to enhance the water-carrying capacity at this point, thereby facilitating a smoother flow of river water,” said Aggarwal.