SRI CHAMKAUR SAHIB — A significant breach in the Sirhind Canal near Bhairomajra road triggered widespread alarm early Wednesday morning after canal waters carved out a rupture measuring approximately 20 metres wide and 12 feet deep. The sudden collapse released large volumes of canal water toward low-lying agricultural fields and nearby settlements, raising immediate flood concerns across Jatana, Bela, Bhairomajra, and Taprian villages.
The incident came to light around 5:00 a.m. when two motorcyclists from Bhairomajra plunged into the freshly collapsed embankment in the dark. Both riders sustained serious injuries, while one of the motorcycles was swept downstream before lodging in roadside brush. Despite their injuries, the victims managed to crawl to safety and alert local residents. Gurdwara public address systems immediately broadcast emergency warnings across nearby villages, prompting hundreds of local youth to rush to the breach site with sandbags to stem the rushing water, while the injured motorists were moved to a hospital in Sri Chamkaur Sahib for medical treatment.
Aam Aadmi Party constituency in-charge Jasveer Singh Garhi arrived at the location to assist community volunteers with relief operations, characterizing the breach as clear administrative negligence and confirming that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had been briefed on the crisis. Local residents alleged that the canal bank had been visibly leaking for three days without intervention from the irrigation authorities, adding that uncleaned debris accumulated under the adjacent bridge had constricted normal water flow. Protesting villagers subsequently blocked traffic across the Sri Chamkaur Sahib bridge, chanting slogans against administrative officials and demanding urgent plugging operations alongside accountability for negligent department engineers.
