FEROZEPUR, Sept. 5 — Floods in the Sutlej river have swallowed sections of the Radcliffe Line in Punjab’s border belt, submerging barbed wire fencing, boundary pillars, and even the joint India-Pakistan check post at Hussainiwala. The inundation has forced an indefinite suspension of the daily Beating the Retreat ceremony at the site, Border Security Force officials confirmed Friday.
“The sheer volume of water has transformed the landscape,” a BSF officer said, noting that even the approach road to Hussainiwala has been badly damaged at multiple stretches.
With the Zero Line underwater, BSF has deployed its water wing, pressed motorboats into service, and increased surveillance through drones. Officials said troops remain on high alert, especially in areas where the border fencing is fully submerged.
Despite the flooding, BSF claimed it has thwarted several attempts by drug traffickers to exploit the situation. In the past 10 days, security forces have seized large consignments of heroin and even caught a man from Hazarasingh Wala village attempting to swim across to Pakistan near the Pachharian outpost.
At the same time, BSF personnel are engaged in extensive humanitarian work in flood-hit border villages, where many of their own outposts stand inundated. Ten specialized rescue teams with speedboats have been deployed around Kaluwala, Tendi Wala, and Gatti Rajjo Ke, with additional units stationed near Nihala Lavera, Dheera Gara, and Sultanwala.
“Our personnel are not only maintaining vigil but also assisting people in evacuating, shifting household goods, livestock, and essential items,” a senior BSF official said. “Our duty is to protect the boundaries of our beloved country and its people; come what may, we will not let anyone down.”
The cancellation of the Hussainiwala retreat ceremony — a symbolic daily event that draws visitors from across Punjab — has added to the sense of disruption. For now, the border landscape remains unrecognizable, swallowed by the swirling waters of the Sutlej.
