On Monday, Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said in the Assembly that the government is planning to build reservoirs to store floodwaters from the Ghaggar River. Every year during the monsoon, the swollen Ghaggar floods many villages and farmlands in Punjab.
The minister said that several places have been identified for building these reservoirs, but he did not share the total number of sites. One such site is in Chando village, Sangrur — the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. About 20 acres of land has been marked for the project there. The planned reservoir will be 40 feet deep and will be connected to canals. This will help use the water for farming and increase groundwater levels.
This announcement came after MLAs Kuljit Singh Randhawa (Dera Bassi) and Gurlal Ghanaur (Ghanaur) raised concerns about the flooding caused by the Ghaggar River every year in Mohali, Patiala, Mansa, and Sangrur.
Earlier in the Assembly, MLA Rana Inder Partap from Sultanpur Lodhi also warned about flood risks. He said that the embankments along the Beas River between Harike and Dhilwan are very weak and can break easily. He claimed that the government has not taken action, even after being informed many times.
No Immediate Flood Threat
Minister Goyal responded by saying that there is no flood-like situation in Punjab at the moment. The water levels in the main dams — Bhakra, Ranjit Sagar, and Pong — are still below danger levels.
Bhakra Dam: 1,590.48 ft (in 2023, it was 1,614.89 ft during floods)
Pong Dam: 1,325.48 ft
Ranjit Sagar Dam: 505.41 metres
Blames Haryana and Rajasthan
The minister also criticized Haryana and Rajasthan. He said that these states demand more water during dry seasons, but during the monsoon, they refuse to take excess water from overflowing rivers. This causes more flooding problems in Punjab.
The government’s reservoir plan is seen as a step to better manage floodwaters and protect lives, farmland, and property in flood-prone areas.
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