A special team deputed by the central government carried out a detailed field visit to the Mand region of the Fatehpur–Indora area to assess the damage caused by this year’s monsoon floods.
The team from the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, inspected severely affected villages, including Badukhar, Riali, Mand Sanaur, Mand Bhowgrawan, Haled and Mand Mayani, all located along the Beas river, which witnessed a sharp rise in water levels during the monsoon, causing damage to buildings and crops.
During the visit, officials undertook a thorough inspection of damaged public infrastructure and interacted with local villagers and farmers to get first-hand information about the losses. The residents informed the team that continuous flooding and riverbank erosion had destroyed large stretches of fertile agricultural land.
The farmers said that standing crops were washed away and cultivable fields were lost due to the strong current of the Beas, causing heavy economic losses.
The villagers expressed serious concern over their livelihoods, stating that agriculture was the main source of income in the area and the loss of land had pushed many families into uncertainty. They urged the authorities to take urgent steps for compensation, river protection works and long-term measures to prevent further erosion during future monsoons.
The central team also observed that the floods had badly damaged drinking water schemes in the region. Many water sources, pipelines and supply lines were either washed away or damaged, disrupting the drinking water supply in many villages. The locals said that temporary arrangements were being made in some areas, but a permanent solution was urgently required to restore potable water supply.
Scientist Arun Kumar and Jyotsna Ambekar, who were part of the central assessment team, said that a detailed scientific study of the damage caused by the Beas river was underway. They stated that technical data related to erosion, infrastructure damage and impact on water supply schemes was being collected on the spot.
They added that after a comprehensive analysis, a detailed report would be prepared and submitted to the Union Government’s Jal Shakti Department. Based on the findings of the report, an estimate of the total damage would be finalised and further relief and mitigation measures would be initiated, they added.
