Haryana's Heartbreak: Over 20 Villages in Kurukshetra Grapple with Markanda's Wrath

Life in over 20 villages across Haryana's Kurukshetra district has been brought to a grinding halt, as the mighty Markanda River continues its relentless assault, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Weeks after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods, communities, particularly in the Pehowa sub-division, remain marooned, grappling with the aftermath of an overflowing river that refuses to fully recede.

The landscape, once vibrant with agricultural promise, now resembles a vast, murky lake.

Thousands of acres of standing crops—predominantly paddy, maize, and various vegetables—lie completely submerged, representing an immense loss for the local farming community. The economic backbone of these villages has been shattered, with countless livelihoods hanging in the balance as farmers watch their year's hard work vanish beneath the floodwaters.

Residents are facing an arduous battle against the persistent waterlogging.

Homes are inundated, critical infrastructure is compromised, and communication lines are frequently disrupted. The overflowing Markanda, which also touched danger levels in areas like Mullana in the neighboring Ambala district, has forced many families to abandon their submerged dwellings and seek refuge in safer, elevated areas, creating a humanitarian challenge that district authorities are striving to address.

In response to the escalating crisis, the Kurukshetra district administration has mobilized extensive relief operations.

Teams are working tirelessly to provide essential aid, including thousands of food packets, clean drinking water bottles, and other necessities to the affected populace. Medical camps have been set up, and efforts are underway to assess the full extent of the damage, which is anticipated to be colossal.

Despite the water levels showing a marginal decline in some areas, the relief is slow and painstaking.

The ground reality remains grim, with many roads still impassable and several villages completely cut off from mainstream access. Power supply has been severely hit, plunging communities into darkness and further exacerbating the challenges of daily life.

The floods are not just a consequence of the Markanda's overflow but also stem from the cumulative impact of heavy downpours in the river's catchment areas and the concurrent swelling of other regional rivers like the Ghaggar, Tangri, and Sarswati.

This confluence of factors has created an unprecedented flood situation, testing the resilience of both the land and its people.

As the region braces for potential further rainfall, the focus remains firmly on rescue, relief, and rehabilitation. The spirit of the affected communities, though tested, enduring, as they look towards a long and challenging path to recovery, hoping for the waters to recede fully and for life to slowly, but surely, return to normalcy.