Chandigarh, July 15:
Punjab Water Resources Minister Sh. Barindar Kumar Goyal, while responding to a call attention motion, informed that the proposal to widen the Ghaggar river near village Tiwana in the Dera Bassi and strengthen its embankment is under consideration.
Responding to the call attention motion presented in the Vidhan Sabha by MLA Dera Bassi S. Kuljit Singh Randhawa, the Water Resources Minister said that due to heavy rainfall in 2023, the water level in the Ghaggar at Village Tiwana had risen significantly. Consequently, floodwater from the Ghaggar River inundated the cultivable land on the left bank and erosion caused the ground level to drop by approximately 8 to 10 feet. Subsequently, the department installed stone revetment and studs along a 2500-foot stretch to protect the cultivable land from erosion. To support this revetment, an embankment was constructed behind it by filling it with soil. He informed that the department spent Rs.5.06 crores on this project.
Sh. Goyal revealed that heavy rainfall in the Ghaggar’s catchment area on June 29, 2025 caused the river’s water level to surge suddenly, but the stone revetment remained completely intact. However, the soil embankment behind the revetment suffered some erosion in certain areas. The department immediately took action and completed the embankment repairs. This restoration work was carried out entirely at the department level. He mentioned that on July 8, 2025, substantial water flow occurred again in the Ghaggar River, but it passed through without causing any damage to the embankment.
The Cabinet Minister reiterated that the proposal is also under consideration to widen the Ghaggar River on the right side near Village Tiwana and utilize the excavated soil to broaden and strengthen the left bank. He indicated that according to the proposal, this work will be undertaken immediately by the department at an estimated cost of around Rs.11 lakh.
