Ferozepur, Aug. 24 -- Flood-affected villages in Ferozepur and Fazilka saw some relief on Saturday as the discharge of water from the Harike headworks reduced significantly, dropping from 1.29 lakh cusecs to 1.12 lakh cusecs within 24 hours.

The Harike headworks is located at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers and diverts water from the two rivers to irrigate the desert regions of Rajasthan via the Indira Gandhi Canal.

While the decrease in water release has alleviated pressure on many distressed communities, over 30 villages in Ferozepur and nearly 20 in Fazilka remain submerged.

The primary concern for residents now is the shortage of fodder for livestock, as stagnant floodwaters have destroyed green crops. Local NGOs and a...