Patiala, Sept. 9 -- The Punjab government on Monday blamed Haryana's Hansi-Butana canal for flooding in border villages of Patiala district. After an inspection of the siphons of Hansi-Butana canal, executive engineer (XEN), drainage, Pratham Gambhir and sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Harjot Kaur said Sassi Brahman, Sassi Gujjran, Dharmehri, Hashampur, Bhawganpur and Sassi Teh villages were among the worst flood-hit areas in the district due to the obstruction of Ghaggar water caused by the Hansi-Butana canal. "Necessary relief measures are being taken," SDM Kaur said. Officials said that before the construction of the canal (in 2007), the floodwaters would naturally flow towards Haryana. However, the siphons - a 20-foot-high embankment-like structure - are acting as a barrier. "Only one siphon was constructed to allow the Ghaggar water passage, and that too is partially choked with silt," said officials familiar with the matter. Hardeep Singh Cheema, a resident of Dharmheri village, said, "Tangri river merges into Markanda river that further merges into the Ghaggar before this area where the Hansi-Butana canal is constructed. This further aggravates the situation as Ghaggar swells further, and the backflow of water increases. XEN Pratham Ghambir said seven to eight villages in Patiala on the Punjab and Haryana border were submerged. "Siphons on the Hansi-Butana canal have not been de-silted which reduced the capacity of the outflow of Ghaggar waters from Punjab. We had written to the Haryana government before the monsoon season for a proper de-silting of the siphons," said the XEN....