Kapurthala, Sept. 8 -- The Beas River continued to wreak havoc in Kapurthala district after an 8-km-long advance embankment, built by farmers to protect nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land, developed cracks under the pressure of strong currents on Sunday. Punjab is facing its worst floods in nearly four decades due to swollen rivers, including the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, caused by heavy rainfall in their catchment area in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. At least 51 people have been killed in various rain-related incidents across the state during the current monsoon season. The embankment, constructed by villagers of Kharijpur after the 2023 floods, had been manned round-the-clock for the past 55 days. But with the Beas now flowing at 1.67 lakh cusecs and altering its course, the strain has shifted to the dhussi bundh, the district's main line of defence. Large tracts of farmland in Mangupur, Nurowal, Sujokalia, Talwandi Chaudriyan, Baja, Amritpur, Safdarpur, Patti Safdarpur, Hussain Pur Dulowal and Burewal face imminent threat, with the bundh weakening at several points. Nurowal sarpanch Hukam Singh said the sudden course change on Saturday evening left the advance bundh as the only hope for farmers. "Not only crops, but residential areas in Baja, Safdarpur and Amritpur, along with two government schools, will be hit if the breach occurs," he warned. Villagers said they had pooled nearly Rs.20 lakh - including Rs.14 lakh spent on diesel - to construct the structure but received little help from authorities. "We repeatedly requested the district administration for stone-studding at vulnerable points, but our pleas went unheard," they alleged. Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh, who had provided earthmoving vehicles during the bundh's construction, appealed to residents to gather at Kharijpur village for urgent reinforcement. "We have managed to control the situation overnight. If given another 12-14 hours, the villagers can strengthen it enough to withstand the river's force for a few more days," he said. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal said the river had also changed course in Baupur Mand, where houses are crumbling under the assault of strong currents. "Large cracks have appeared in the walls, forcing families to evacuate," he said. With the Beas in spate and rains forecast to continue, thousands of acres of crops and several villages in Kapurthala remain on edge....