BATHINDA: More than 1000 houses in Bathinda city were inundted on Thursday morning following breach in the Sirhind Canal that goes up to Rajasthan. The people wake up in the morning to see knee deep water in their houses.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday ordered an inquiry into the Sirhind Canal breach running along the Bathinda City. The 20-25 ft. wide breach occurred today around 6 AM that caused damage to 15-20 houses and 30-40 Jhugis in the city.

The inquiry would be conducted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Bathinda  Vijay Zade to ascertain the cause of the breach and he has been asked to submit the detailed report within three days.  

Disclosing this here  Media Advisor to the Chief Minster  Harcharan Bains said that the Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner to seek the services of Army which was immediately called in to plug the breach along with the engineers of the canal wing of the state Irrigation department.   The Deputy Commissioner Bathidna  Rahul Tiwari has reported that the plugging of the breach was being under taken on war footing under the supervision of the district civil and police administration. He revealed that 50% of the breach had been plugged off till afternoon and the remaining work would be completed positively by the evening.    

The Media Advisor said that the district administration had been asked to keep a round the clock vigil on the situation. A control room had been set up in the district Red Cross Office to provide facilities of temporary shelter, food, medicines etc to the affected persons, which would function 24 hours.