Kapurthala DC urges caution as Beas river swells; villages near Indo-Pak border hit

Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal on Sunday said that the administration is keeping a close watch on the rising water levels in the Beas river and urged residents in the Mand region to remain cautious.

The surge in water is being driven by heavy rainfall in the upper hilly regions, which has swollen rivers and rivulets across Punjab and its neighbouring states.

Panchal further assured that the district administration is fully prepared with disaster response measures, and stressed that while vigilance is necessary, there is no need for panic.


The Deputy Commissioner also confirmed that relief centres have been set up at the Government School in Lakh Warian, Sultanpur Lodhi, and at Mand Kuka in Dhilwan. These centres are stocked with adequate provisions including food, accommodation, medicines, and other essentials for people forced to leave their homes.

Meanwhile, separate measures are also in place to ensure the health and safety of livestock.

Villages near India-Pak border hit

Heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab since Saturday night has caused the Ujh and Ravi rivers, along with several seasonal rivulets, to overflow, affecting many villages close to the India-Pakistan border.

Officials reported that a 30–40 foot stretch of road near the Jalalian drain was washed away, disrupting traffic, while several other routes including the Dinanagar–Bamiyal road via Kohlia have also been impacted.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, who visited the affected areas, said that the situation along the border villages remained grim due to the waterlogging and crop damage.

Many farmers have reported paddy and sugarcane fields under water, while breaches near the Jalalian bridge worsened the flooding in Bamial. The minister assured residents that compensation would be provided for both crop and property losses.

Relief measures and monitoring

In Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur, heavy rainfall in the Chakki Khad catchment area pushed nearly 1.34 lakh cusecs of water into the Beas river at Chakki-Mirthal gauge.

By Sunday morning, 59,900 cusecs of water had been released from the Pong Dam, later reduced to 23,700 cusecs in the evening as inflow slowed. Still, agricultural fields in villages like Motla, Halerjanardhan, Sanial, Kolian and Mehtabpur were inundated.

Mukerian Sub Divisional Magistrate Ankur Mohindru said that while the river water has entered fields and some roads, it has not yet entered homes, though it came close to several residential colonies. Relief operations have been launched, and some families have voluntarily moved to safer places.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Panchal confirmed that in Kapurthala district, the administration has set up relief centres at Government School Lakh Warian, Sultanpur Lodhi, and Mand Kuka in Dhilwan. These centres are equipped with shelter, food supplies, medicines and essential services for both people and livestock. State Disaster Response Force teams are already on the ground, ensuring that life and property remain protected.

With continuous rainfall in the upper hilly regions, officials warn that river levels may fluctuate in the coming days. Residents in low-lying areas have been advised to stay alert, follow official advisories and avoid venturing into flooded zones.

(With PTI inputs)