PHAGWARA: The flood situation in Punjab’s Mand region has turned increasingly critical as the Beas river continues to swell amid relentless rainfall. Rajya Sabha MP and noted environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal personally led rescue operations on Monday, moving 15 families along with their cattle to safer locations between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
So far, Seechewal and his team of volunteers have rescued over 300 families trapped in floodwaters since August 11, when breaches first appeared in the embankments. Many villagers, however, remain reluctant to leave their inundated homes despite rising water levels and leaking rooftops. For those unwilling to evacuate, Seechewal’s team is delivering drinking water, food supplies, and fodder for livestock.
On-site, Seechewal directed Sultanpur Lodhi SDM Alka Kalia to ensure tarpaulins and other essentials reach families refusing to move out.
The crisis deepened after an advance embankment at Ahli Kalan collapsed, submerging vast tracts of farmland. Farmers fear that nearly 30, 000 to 35, 000 acres of paddy across 35 villages may be destroyed. Despite weeks of efforts with JCB machines, tractors, and sandbags, local residents could not withstand the Beas river’s powerful current.
Calling for calm, Sant Seechewal urged farmers to “remain strong in this hour of distress, as nature’s fury is beyond human control, ” while assuring them of continued support.
Authorities have warned residents to shift to safe shelters immediately, citing the risk of collapsing rooftops weakened by continuous rain. In Kabirpur village, the roof of a flour mill recently gave way, burying a family under debris. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.