Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Urges Punjab CM to Act Swiftly on Rising Flood Threat
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ August 14,2025
Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh today urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take immediate action to control the worsening flood situation in the region, particularly in Sultanpur Lodhi constituency in Kapurthala, where floodwaters from the Beas river have already inundated agricultural fields in atleast 25 villages, damaging standing paddy crops.
Addressing a press conference, Rana Inder Partap Singh expressed concern over the release of excess water from dams during the monsoon season, saying, “Since the construction of dams, states outside Punjab have reaped the benefits, but when these dams—especially those fed by Himachal Pradesh—release water during heavy rains, it is Punjab that bears the brunt in the form of floods.”
“This is a clear loss to Punjab, yet no one seems concerned,” he said. “I urge the Chief Minister to take immediate stock of the situation and issue necessary directions to avert any further damage and save precious lives.”
The MLA, who had spent the last two days visiting flood-affected areas in his constituency, warned that at least 25 to 30 assembly constituencies located along the Beas, Ghaggar, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers are vulnerable. He appealed to legislators from all parties, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to speak up for the safety and well-being of their constituents.
The legislator pointed out that the water levels in the Beas river and the Pong Dam reservoir have been steadily rising for the past 10–15 days, but the government has failed to respond. “On August 4, the water level at Pong Dam was 1,366 feet. Today, it has crossed 1,377.5 feet—just 12.5 feet short of the 1,390-foot danger mark,” he said.
Highlighting the situation at Harike, he stated that while the inflow was around 13 lakh cusecs, only about 3 lakh cusecs have been released downstream, with 2.5 lakh cusecs diverted into the river. “This means over 7 lakh cusecs are being held back. There must be controlled and strategic releases from Harike to avoid a catastrophic overflow that could submerge entire areas and lead to massive losses of crops, property, and lives.”
According to the MLA he had informed the irrigation minister, the department secretary, and chief engineers about the dire situation, but alleged that no concrete action had yet been taken. “The minister and engineers are passing the responsibility on the secretary, who, I believe, is unaware of the ground realities,” he added.
He also raised concerns about the water levels at Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River, currently at 1,650 feet—still 30 feet below the danger mark of 1,680 feet—but warned that heavy inflows in the coming days could drastically change the situation.
Asserting the lack of flood preparedness, the MLA said, “The entire Kapurthala district, including Sultanpur Lodhi, does not even have 5,000 sandbags or 50 crates ready to manage a sudden flood or bundh breach. This clearly reflects the negligence and incompetence of the government machinery.” He demanded that the state government take swift and serious steps to mitigate the looming crisis before it escalates further.
