Overflowing Ravi poses danger to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib

Due to heavy rains in parts of Pakistani Punjab, the historical Sikh shrine "Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib" has been cut off from the Narowal District.

The first Sikh spiritual master Guru Nanak Dev had spent last 18 years of his at the Gurdwara at Kartarpur.

According to reports, the shrine is surrounded with waters from the overflowing Ravi. About two kilometre link road connecting Gurdwara to GT Road has been extensively damaged and parts of road connecting it with Narowal district has also been washed away.

The Shrine is located one kilometre from the Ravi and three kilometre from the India Pakistan border. Sikhs living in Kartarpur have appealed to the Indian authorities not to release water into Ravi. They fear that the rising water level in river Ravi could create havoc in the area.

Talking to ANI, Gobind Singh, who is the caretaker of the Sikh shrine 'Kartarpur Sahib', said that the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib is on the first floor of the Gurdwara Sahib but the "Samad" is situated at the ground floor.

He informed that the water is flowing along the boundary wall of the Gurdwara Sahib and has already damaged its kitchen. Hundreds of acres of agriculture land near by the Gurdwara, has been covered with water and crops have been destroyed.

Ramesh Singh Arora, Member Provincial assembly, pointed out that according to the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, India is required to inform Pakistan when it intends to release more than 30,000 cusecs of water from Madhopur headworks.