Bathinda: Even though Punjab has not witnessed widespread excess rainfall this monsoon, a retired Indian Army officer and his serving son have alleged that their paddy field in Jeonwala village of Faridkot district has remained submerged for five days due to blocked drainage, damaging the crop despite repeated pleas to the district administration.Colonel Jarnail Singh Sandhu (retd) and his son, Colonel Rupinder Pal Singh Sandhu, said the village pond had been closed for cleaning and desilting since Feb 2026, obstructing the natural drainage of rainwater. As a result, rainwater from showers in the last week of June accumulated in their field, located next to the pond, with no outlet for discharge.The two officers alleged that despite repeatedly bringing the matter to the notice of district officials, no effective action was taken to clear the blockage, resulting in damage to the standing paddy crop and the field’s boundary wall.Col Rupinder Pal said an official from the block development and panchayat office inspected the site and confirmed that draining the accumulated water into the pond was the only practical solution. “A pipe opened to facilitate drainage was found blocked again, despite directions issued during the inspection. Even after it was reopened, only a small quantity of water could be drained,” he said.The family has urged the administration to immediately restore natural drainage into the pond, repair the damaged boundary wall and take action against those allegedly obstructing compliance with official directions.Faridkot additional deputy commissioner (development) Sandeep Malhotra said the matter had been taken up with the village sarpanch, who was taking the necessary steps. He said the district administration was following up the issue to provide relief, adding that water was taking longer to recede as the field was situated in a low-lying area.
