19092025-ATR-01.qxd 9/18/2025 11:10 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune CLASSROOMS TURN PROTEST PODIUMS FOR TEACHERS ATHLETIC DREAMS SINK IN RISING FLOOD WATERS Many sportspersons from economicallyweaker sections, may have to quit their games following floods. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 25°C ARYAN KHAN’S THE BA***DS OF BOLLYWOOD DROPS ON NETFLIX Teachers of aided colleges to go on mass casual leave today, stage protest in Sri Anandpur Sahib. P2 FORECAST Aryan’s larger-than-life drama on the inner workings of Bollywood takes the ‘nepo kid’ charge head on. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.23 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:09 AM » FRIDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2025 | AMRITSAR AFTER THE FLOODS Farmers stare at losses as floodwaters recede from fields Beyond the overflowing rivers and incessant rains that have caused destruction to both public infrastructure and private property, the reality of individual losses in what are the worst ever floods in recent history, has started settling in. The Tribune takes a deep dive into the bleakness of the situation by bringing out the trials and tribulations of individuals. Not only have farmers lost their income for the next few months, they are likely to be pushed further into indebtedness, which has its own socio-economic repercussions. Debt trap looms as homes, livestock swept away by floods Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 18 Farmers in flood-hit Ajnala and Lopoke sub-divisions fear long-term damage to their livelihood, as vast tracts of land remain waterlogged and covered with thick layers of silt. Despite government assurances, cultivators say the compensation announced is grossly inadequate to cover the massive losses. “There will be no compensation for the actual losses suffered by farmers during the recent devastating floods that left large parts of Ajnala and Lopoke border sub-division submerged,” said Nirmal Singh, a farmer from Nangal Sohal village who owns 18 acres. Nirmal Singh pointed out that even the proposed Rs 20,000 per acre would not help farmers recover their losses. “Floodwater is still stagnant in my fields. It will take another 15 days to a month before we can even make efforts to make the land cultivable again. By then, the wheat sowing season will have slipped away,” he said, adding that tractors cannot be operated until the soil dries completely. The Punjab government has allowed farmers to sell the sand deposited in their fields, but villagers said it was of poor quality, mixed with soil and impurities. Instead, they face the Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service The unprecedented floods have wreaked havoc in Punjab, devastating lives and affecting local economy adversely. FILE PHOTO REMOVING SAND & SILT DEPOSITS A TALL ORDER ■ Ajnala SDM Ravinder Singh said the sand deposited in agricultural fields during the recent floods belongs to the farmers, who are free to sell it as per their choice. daunting task of removing 4-5 feet of silt and re-levelling their fields before sowing can begin. “We have to dump this sand elsewhere with JCBs and tractor trolleys,” Singh explained. Gurbhej Singh, a nambar- ■ The SDM added that the administration will provide machinery support to facilitate removal of sand so that fields can be cleared in time for wheat sowing season. dar in Ghonewal village, owns 20 acres and has another 25 acres on contract. He said only land at a higher elevation may become cultivable soon, while low-lying fields could take months to ■ Singh further informed that the operation would be intensified with assistance from the NHAI, Agriculture Department and Water Resources Department in coming days. recover. “Either the sand has to be removed with heavy machinery, or it will need to be levelled in the field with added manure and fertilizers. In any case, cultivation will be delayed for at least a cou- ■ Prithipal Singh, Sarpanch of Ghonewal village, said farmers have also started approaching private contractors to remove sand from their fields, in return for payment. ple of months,” he said. Farmers fear that missing the wheat season will push them deeper into debt, leaving many with no option but to rely on moneylenders for the next cropping cycle. Five families of Kot Budha return home after two weeks Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, September 18 All five families from Kot Budha village have returned to their homes near the Sutlej river after spending over two weeks away during the peak of the recent floods. Amit Bhasin, an officer in the local revenue department, reported that, so far, 73 villages in the district have been affected by the floods and crops on an estimated 33,000 acres have been destroyed. Kot Budha, a border village, was among the worst hit by the deluge. Ranjit Singh, Sarpanch of the village, said of the total 5,900 acres in the village, 900 acres of land have been affected with crops remaining submerged in water for more than 35 days. Although the water level in the Sutlej has since receded, there is no hope of salvaging the damaged crops. Singh explained that during the height of the floods, five families living in the interior riverine areas were relocated to a safer place. Families of Desa Singh, Salwinder Singh, HUGE LOSS ❝ A total of 85 families in the village have been affected by floods. There are 40 families in the village who have lost their crops and the remaining 45 have been partially damaged. ❞ — Ranjit Singh, KOT BUDHA RESIDENT Baj Singh, Sahib Singh and Dulla Singh have now returned to their homes. He further noted that a total of 85 families in the village have been affected by the floods. Of these, 40 families have suffered complete crop loss, while 45 families experienced partial damage. Desa Singh and his son, Jatinder Singh, said that this is the second time they have faced such devastation, the first being the 2023 floods. They had been hoping for a bumper paddy harvest this season due to favourable weather conditions, but the floods dashed those hopes once again. “We have lost everything, the crops, green and dry fodder, and even our food rations," they said. “We are starting our lives from scratch and hoping for compensation from the state and central governments,” urged the father-son duo. With hopes pinned on government assistance and community resilience, villagers like Desa Singh and Jatinder Singh remain determined to overcome the devastation — holding on to the belief that better days lie ahead. Gurdaspur, September 18 Villagers who have returned to their homes are shocked to see that while the floodwaters have receded, their houses are so badly damaged that they will again have to take money from the ‘Arhtiyas’ (money lenders) at an exorbitant rate of interest to renovate them. “Now, this is a frightening feeling. We are already under debt. What will happen to us if we take more loans,” asked Lakhwinder Singh of Lassian village. Some relief and rehabilitation efforts are underway but villagers face severe challenges, including extensive damage to their houses, health risks and inadequate aid “My house will never be the same again. When I returned with my family yesterday evening after spending some days in Gurdaspur city with my relatives, I could not believe what I saw. It was not the house we had left. A dozen of my cattle had died. The fodder had been destroyed. The belongings and expensive items which we had collected after years of hard work and struggle have been damaged badly. All I can see is a stench, slush and a shattered house. Yesterday, I asked my money lender for cash. He quoted an astronomical 24 per cent annual rate of interest. Take it or leave it, he told me rudely,” said Akashvir Singh, a resident of Gurchakk village falling in Dera Baba Nanak sub-division. This is the same area which was visited by Rahul Gandhi on Monday. “He came but gave nothing. A few photographers accompanied him,” he added. Satbir Sultani, a Kirti Kisan Union leader, who is in the forefront of providing ration kits to his fellow farmers, Desilting operations underway in a field. DIST ADMN’S HELP SOUGHT ■ Amrik Singh, Sarpanch of Bharial village, one of the seven villages that comprise the cluster of hamlets called ‘Us-Paar’ (across the Ravi), said he had held a meeting of all village Sarpanches of the area. All of them claimed that any future plans they make of desilting their agricultural fields or rebuilding of the damaged houses can be implemented only with the help of the district administration. ■ “However, I tried meeting officials in the DC office but on all occasions, I was told they are out in the flood-hit areas. The facts speak otherwise. The rarely visit the flood-ravaged areas. Even if says it will take months, or even more, to deal with the destruction. “This is not withstanding the extensive damage done to farmers’ crops and lingering waterlogging. As per norms, desilting takes place in dams from May till July. However, this time, for reasons best known to the officials, desilting was not done. This is the reason why all the three dams — Bhakra, Ranjit Sagar and Pong — got filled quickly, forcing officials to release the excess water into the rivers. The embankments gave way as a result of which water flowed into our houses and fields,” he said. He added that out of these three dams, two — Ranjit Sagar and Pong Dam — belong to Punjab. half of them do their duty, almost all damaged houses of our villagers could have been repaired by now,” said Amrik Singh. ■ He added that the administration should hire tractor-trolleys from districts not touched by the floods. “The only way to desilt our fields is through tractor-trolleys or JCBs. The Gurdaspur administration should make an appeal to farmers of these districts to come with their tractors and extend a helping hand. Otherwise, it is impossible for us to sow the wheat crop in November,” he added. “Punjab officials are responsible for this mess. There should be an inquiry as to why these two dams were not desilted on time,” said Sultani. Officials admit that almost all homes located along the Ravi river have either been partially or completely damaged, leading to animal carcasses littered everywhere and creating unsanitary conditions. This has led to a heightened risk of waterborne and vector-borne diseases like cholera and dengue. “In the 1988 floods, snakebites were not that common as they are this time,” said Amrik Singh, Sarpanch of Bharial village, one of the worst affected hamlets. Bittu at helm, locals hope Patti-Makhu rail link will be reality Councillor appears before NCB for drug seizure case probe Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 18 The proposed Patti-Makhu rail link to connect Amritsar and Ferozepur remains a distant dream. The people concerned ask, “Are the parties playing politics over the proposed rail link?” The long-awaited 25.7 km Patti-Makhu rail link between Majha and Malwa regions of Punjab will open another route to connect the northern region of Jammu & Kashmir with western states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. The commencement of the rail link will have a positive impact on commercial activities. In 2013, the then Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had approved the Ferozepur-Patti rail link, but the project remains a distant dream. About 12 years after the approval of the ambitious The Patti-Makhu rail link will connect Majha and Malwa regions of Punjab and boost commerce with other states. FILE PHOTO project, there is still a long way to go for the project. The elevation of Ravneet Bittu, hailing from Punjab, as Union Minister of State for Railways, gave credence to the belief that Bittu will pay attention toward this pending railway project. Naresh Vij, a wholesale textile trader, said, “The start of Ferozepur-Patti rail link will cut short the distance between Amritsar and Jaipur. “Trading exchanges require them to travel to Jaipur city. Whenever I go by train, then instead of direct connectivity, the train goes to Ludhiana first, then reaches Ferozepur via Jagraon and Moga, and it consumes a lot of time. The new rail route will cut down the duration by hours.” “If this project starts, then traders of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and even Rajasthan will prefer this route for trade purposes,” he said. Palwinder Singh, a resident of Amritsar, said, “I travel to Mumbai and if this rail route starts in future, it will surely shorten the distance between Punjab and Mumbai.” Everyone knows the importance of the Ferozepur-Patti railway link but both the Union and state governments are not taking this project seriously. It was reported that previous Punjab governments had failed to acquire land for the railway link,” he said. He said, from the commercial point of view, the rail link c m y b is anticipated to shorten the distance between Ferozepur and Amritsar from the present 118 km to 86 km. Similarly, the railway link would reduce the distance between Jammu and Mumbai by 267 km and from Amritsar to Mumbai by 240 km. Even after the completion of the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) of the project in 2020 by Social Sciences Department of Guru Nanak Dev University, the project did not see further progress. The study had found that around 230 households would be affected while 140 hectares would be required to lay nearly 25-km railway line. The people expressed fear of waterlogging, which according to the SIA, could be addressed by constructing enough water exit points. The track would pass through 12 villages, including Kot Buddha, Safa Singh Wala, Kale Ke Uttar, Talwandi Sobha Singh, Talwandi Nastada Singh, Manak Ke Jand, Maan and Bangna Rai in Tarn Taran and Mallan Wala, Dullah Singh Wala, Quttubuddin Wala and Kale Ke Hithar in Ferozepur. Prof Rajesh Kumar from the Social Sciences Department of GNDU, who carried out the study, said, “The project will herald social and economic transformation of around 2.5 lakh people, besides providing another line of transportation to defence forces along the International Border.” The assessment of the land’s value would be carried out before announcing the award for land acquisition. After the proposed land is acquired and handed over to the Indian Railways, then the latter would proceed to lay the tracks and construct two overbridges on the route. Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 18 Tarn Taran councillor Gurpreet Singh Goldy appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday after being summoned in connection with a recent drug seizure case. Goldy joined the probe amid reports that the names of several political leaders had surfaced during his preliminary interrogation. While an NCB official confirmed the councillor’s appearance, the agency remained tight-lipped about the progress of the investigation. The case stems from the August 20 arrest of three alleged drug peddlers — Par- minder Singh alias Pamma, Shaifi and Shaka — all residents of Timmowal village in Tarn Taran. The NCB had recovered around 100 grams of heroin from their possession. The trio was subsequently sent to judicial custody. During questioning, the accused reportedly confessed to their links with smugglers operating across the Pakistan border. Forensic examination of their mobile phones further revealed the names of several suspected traffickers as well as political figures, including a former MLA, sources said. The NCB is continuing its probe into the wider nexus of drug smuggling and political links in the border belt.