Chandigarh, September 15: Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has asked Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to order a girdawari (assessment of crop damage) and initiate long-term measures to tackle recurring flooding from the Patiala Ki Rao rivulet.
In a letter to the Governor, Tewari noted that villages of Dadumajra and Dhanas were inundated after the rivulet swelled on September 6, leaving agricultural fields covered in silt and stagnant polluted water. “Floodwaters have badly affected farmlands, particularly in Dadumajra, where silt and dirty water remain lodged,” he wrote.
The MP, who recently revisited both villages, said the rivulet’s banks could be developed in a way that would manage flooding and also create a planned, green space. “There is potential to make the rivulet a well-maintained area if its flow is properly managed,” Tewari mentioned.
Calling for a permanent solution, Tewari said the natural course of Patiala Ki Rao must be ensured from Nayagaon to the Dadumajra bridge and further downstream. He noted that widening the channel by removing weeds, shrubs, debris and waste would help restore its flow.
He further suggested desilting the rivulet from Nayagaon to its exit point in Chandigarh, along with strengthening embankments and fortifying slopes. In his letter, Tewari proposed tracks for walkers with decorative lighting along the banks, saying such steps could combine safety with urban development.
On connectivity issues, he said the bridge linking Dhanas with Toga village in Punjab should be raised so that farmers are not cut off from their fields when the rivulet swells during monsoon.
Tewari also flagged a separate concern of swampy conditions created by leachate from the Dadumajra garbage dump. “This seepage is a health hazard for residents of Dhanas and requires immediate intervention,” he noted.
