Ludhiana, Dec. 16 -- a Barely a month after authorities detected an illegal earthen bundh inside the Sutlej River at Sidhwan Bet another unauthorised structure-this time stretching nearly 300 metres-has surfaced, once again triggering alarm over the safety of riverbank villages still recovering from recent floods.

The latest illegal bundh was detected in Khurshaidpura village of Sidhwan Bet, around 1,000 metres from the Jagraon-Mehatpur bridge.

Officials said the five-foot-wide kuchha bundh, created by collecting large quantities of sand inside the river, had the potential to alter the natural flow of the Sutlej, posing serious risks during the monsoon.

The discovery comes just months after the river's sudden rise submerged vast tracts...