PHAGWARA: Rajya Sabha Member and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has written letter to Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Patil, urging the Central Government to release a special package for flood management in Punjab and for the de-silting of Harike Pattan. He warned that any further delay in announcing such a package could expose Punjab to even more severe natural disasters in the coming years.
Sant Seechewal pointed out that large-scale de-silting carried out in 2020 beneath the Giddarpindi railway bridge on the Sutlej river, as well as extensive removal of silt from the Budha Nala during the months of June and July, had helped protect the surrounding areas from devastating floods.
In his letter, Sant Seechewal referred to the catastrophic floods that struck Punjab in August 2025, causing massive destruction across the state. The subsequent flooding of the Ravi river broke all previous records. These floods severely affected the Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions, impacting hundreds of villages. More than 50 precious lives were lost, while paddy crops suffered nearly 100 per cent damage. Roads, government buildings and rural infrastructure also sustained extensive losses.
Highlighting the condition of the Harike Pattan Headworks, Sant Seechewal stated that despite the barrage being constructed in 1952–53 at the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers, de-silting has never been undertaken even once. Over a vast area of approximately 48 square kilometres, a huge quantity of silt has accumulated, drastically reducing the water-holding capacity during flood situations.