Farmers suffer huge losses in Haryana flood (Hindu 15 July 2010)

Unable to cultivate their land for many years; standing paddy destroyed
AMBALA: Even as the flood-hit Ambala district in Haryana is limping back to normality with water receding from urban and some parts of rural areas, the villagers of Niharsi, Jansui, Jansua, Bisangarh and Mahmoodpur bewailed the destruction of over 400 acres of cultivated land.
As this correspondent drove along potholed and broken rural road to reach Niharsi, 25 kilometres from Ambala city, the scene was one of utter desolation with standing paddy and other crops completely destroyed. This was caused by gushing waters following a breach in the defunct and almost crumbled Satluj Yamuna Link Canal located nearby. And the collapse of a bridge left a wide gap of almost 500 metres breaking all connectivity.
“Even though there were no human casualties, we have suffered huge losses as we cannot cultivate this land for another four years,'' bewailed Bhajan Singh, Sarpanch of Niharsi and Pritam Singh, Sarpanch of Gaurasiyan, while talking to this correspondent.
They, however, appreciated the relief measures undertaken by the local MLA Venod Sharma and NGOs and said the Government was now getting the bridge rebuilt on war footing. But the issue of concern was compensation to the victims, another Sarpanch said.
Meanwhile, the State Government suspended one Sub- Divisional Officer and two Junior Engineers of the Irrigation Department posted at Ambala for dereliction of duty in the flood relief work. A senior medical officer of the Health Department was also transferred to another district.
State Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati said in Chandigarh that the situation in the flood- affected districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Fatehabad and Sirsa was under control. The breaches in the SYL canal in Punjab area from Pachis Dhara in village Kami Kalan had been plugged by the Punjab Irrigation Department.
In Fatehabad district, heavy discharge in Ghaggar river had resulted in excessive supply in Rangoi Nallah which had breached at two places.
Efforts were on by the Army to plug these breaches. The water had started receding in rural and urban areas.
In Sirsa, four breaches had occurred on downstream Ottu Weir and 13 villages covering an area of 8,000 acres had been affected.
In Kurukshetra, all the 10 breaches in the Bibipur Lake bund had been plugged and the SYL Canal bank had also been strengthened.