Chandigarh, Sept. 13: — A delegation of flood-affected villagers from Punjab met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday, pressing for a permanent solution to the recurring floods they say are triggered by the Hansi–Butana canal embankment.
The villagers, representing the Flood Victims Struggle Committee, told Saini that their homes and fields are devastated each year because the canal obstructs the natural flow of the Ghaggar river.
“Until the technical flaw in the Hansi–Butana canal is addressed, this problem will not end,” one representative said.
The meeting was arranged by Patiala MP Maharani Preneet Kaur at the CM’s official residence in Chandigarh. Kaur noted that the discussion was aimed at securing “a permanent remedy to the suffering of people in both Haryana and Punjab who face repeated flood losses.”
The delegation explained that water from the Shivalik foothills in Himachal Pradesh — including Morni Hills, Panchkula, Sukhna Lake, Markanda and Tangri rivers — funnels into the Ghaggar. When the river reaches the narrow siphons of the Hansi–Butana canal, the water is unable to pass freely, creating a backflow that submerges villages on the Punjab side. Recent unseasonal rains, they said, had worsened the problem, leaving several families homeless.
Two solutions were suggested to the chief minister: either divert the Ghaggar beneath the canal to keep its natural course uninterrupted, or construct a wider siphon — roughly two kilometers long — to allow the river to flow smoothly without obstruction.
Saini assured the villagers that their concerns were under review and said he had already asked officials for a technical report. “We are taking this problem seriously, and all possible steps will be taken to ensure a lasting solution,” he said.
He added that a series of departmental meetings would be convened soon. “Next month I will visit the Hansi–Butana head myself and meet flood-hit families from both Punjab and Haryana to take their views,” Saini noted. “We will work to make sure such a situation does not arise again.”
Participants described the interaction as cordial and said the CM’s response gave them confidence. Still, several village leaders warned that if the issue drags on, they would have no option but to launch a larger agitation.
The delegation included Surinder Singh Kherki, BJP in-charge of the Mana constituency; Satinder Singh Bittu Dhanouri; Ramesh Goel Dakala; Kashmir Singh; former sarpanch Harcharan Singh Dhidasa; Harbhajan Singh Chattha; Pal Singh Nambardar; Nishan Singh Cheema; Sukhdev Singh; Aman Gill; Jagmail Singh; Parminder Singh, and others.
