Ludhiana DC writes to the Army seeking help; engineering support demanded for dams

September 24, 2025

The bandh at Sasrali Colony in Ludhiana, Punjab, remains in critical condition. The Sutlej River has changed its course, causing continuous erosion of farmers’ fields and destroying over 300 acres of crops.

Following the worsening situation, SDM Jasleen Kaur, on the orders of Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Himanshu Jain, sent a letter to the Army, with a copy to the Chief Secretary of Punjab. The administration is extremely concerned about the Sutlej dams.

In the letter, SDM Jasleen Kaur requested engineering assistance to secure the dam. She wrote that the continuous flow of water in the Sutlej River is continuously eroding agricultural land outside the Dhussi Dam in the Mattewara area. Farmers are losing valuable land due to this continuous river erosion.

The administration is utilizing all available resources, but given the gravity of the situation, the Army has been requested for immediate assistance and a technical team from the Engineering Wing to stop the ongoing erosion.

The situation is such that where the Sutlej used to flow, the river is dry, and where the Sutlej now flows, farmers used to have land. After the flood threat subsided, the administration also became a little sluggish, and NGOs and helpers have returned, but now helpless farmers are watching their land being submerged by the Sutlej every day.

Residents reported that, according to one estimate, 300 acres of land inside the Dhussi Dam and about 100 acres of land outside the dam have been submerged.