“With rains lashing Jammu and Kashmir and the river getting into spate, it becomes difficult. I had to go daily. I wanted to finish my work before the monsoon. I have been able to identify 60 percent of the voters. It was not an easy task,” Singh told The Indian Express, adding that SIR is still underway.

Bharyal, which has 369 voters, is inundated almost every year. Many of its residents temporarily move to 15 neighbouring villages during the flood season.

“I had to map each one of them. Like today, it is raining and I cannot go,” Singh said.

Bharyal and neighbouring Toor village, covered under Polling Station Nos. 1 and 2 of the Dinanagar (SC) Assembly constituency, are among Punjab’s most isolated habitations. Pakistan lies on one side, the Ravi on the other, while the international border is barely 8 kilometres away.

Of Punjab’s 12,500 villages, 50 are considered remote because they are located along the international border and have poor road connectivity.

For part of the year, a temporary pontoon bridge connects the villages with the mainland. During monsoon, the bridge is dismantled as the river swells, leaving boats as the only means of transport.

“These villages are cut off during monsoons but that doesn’t happen every year,” one official said.

Gurdaspur alone has 15 such villages. “The Ajnala, Dharamkot and Bhoa Assembly segments also have such remote villages,” Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Congress MLA from Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur, told The Indian Express.

For BLOs, this means crossing the swelling river multiple times during the exercise — from house-to-house enumeration and mapping, and follow-up rounds that involve revisiting locked houses and identifying ineligible voters, to sitting at local polling booths to process forms.

Singh recalled one such day when a routine visit nearly turned into a rescue operation.

“The water level was manageable when I went to Bharyal. But by the time I had to return, flash floods in Rajouri had affected the river here too. Then the Army boat helped us come back,” he said.

“When the river is in spate, village boats stop operating because it becomes risky. The Army takes over with boats, life jackets and all necessary arrangements.”

He said residents had urged authorities to keep the pontoon bridge in place this year, but rising water levels made that impossible.

Boat to Kaluwala

Nearly 150 km away, a similar story is unfolding in Ferozepur district.

Kaluwala village, under Polling Station No. 7 of the Ferozepur Urban Assembly constituency, is often called Punjab’s island village. Encircled by the Sutlej on three sides and the India-Pakistan border fence on the fourth, it sits barely a kilometre from the international border.

The village, around 10 km from Ferozepur town, has little permanent infrastructure and is accessible largely by boat. Temporary Army pontoon bridges are erected only during emergencies. Repeated floods and its location on the border have forced many residents to move away, leaving behind a population of about 200.

For Darshan Singh and Pushpa Grover, teachers at Government School, Tendiwala, carrying out the SIR has meant making repeated boat journeys across the Sutlej.

“There are 150 voters. I have completed 82 percent of my work,” Darshan Singh said. “Some residents who have gone out of the village will return after planting paddy. Earlier, I used to go every day. The villagers are adept at rowing boats and we have been using them.”

Pushpa Grover said the journey had become routine.

“I have also been taking the boat to reach the village. The pontoon bridge is no longer there. It is a short distance. One just has to cross the Sutlej to reach the other side,” she said. “I live in this area, so it is not a hardship for me. I have completed 90 per cent of my work. The rest will be done soon.”

Despite their isolation, villages such as Kaluwala have consistently recorded high voter turnout. Election officials say residents living along the border display a remarkable commitment to the electoral process, even though reaching polling stations or carrying out election work often requires extraordinary effort.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra said the exercise had highlighted the dedication of BLOs working under difficult conditions.

“The BLOs have shown tremendous professionalism in carrying out the SIR in Punjab. They took whatever route was available. They are the praiseworthy partners in the SIR and have done commendable work,” she said.

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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