Madhopur floodgates collapse: Randhawa writes to CM, calls for high-level probe
The incident occurred on August 27, when the release of over 6 lakh cusecs of water from Ranjit Sagar Dam on the night of August 26 caused catastrophic flooding across Amritsar and Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur member of Parliament (MP) Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has called for a high-level investigation into the collapse of three floodgates at Madhopur headworks, following the release of water from Ranjit Sagar Dam.
In a letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday, Randhawa questioned the decision to suspend three officials, including an executive engineer and SDO, and demanded that accountability be fixed at the highest level.
The incident occurred on August 27, when the release of over 6 lakh cusecs of water from Ranjit Sagar Dam on the night of August 26 caused catastrophic flooding across Amritsar and Gurdaspur. Randhawa criticised the government for what he called an “administrative and technical failure”, stating that the release of such a large volume of water should have been better coordinated, especially given the flood-prone nature of the area.
In his letter, Randhawa raised several key concerns, including the absence of senior officials at Ranjit Sagar Dam during the critical hours when water levels peaked. He also questioned why there was no prior coordination with downstream structures like Shahpur Kandi Dam and Madhopur headworks before the gates were opened. Additionally, he asked why the gates at Madhopur were not opened in advance or in sync with the release from Ranjit Sagar Dam.
The MP said by calling for a transparent investigation into the matter and warned that if accountability is not fixed at the highest levels, he would raise the issue in Parliament. The devastating floods caused widespread damage across Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Amritsar, impacting thousands of families.
