Punjab: Flood fury continues unabated, 1,700 evacuated

Floodwaters continued to wreak havoc along Beas and Sutlej even though the water outflow from Pong and Bhakra Dams reduced on Friday.

Over 1,700 people were moved to safer places with teams of Army, NDRF, BSF, and local administration stepped up the relief work.

As many as 90 villages in Gurdaspur and 39 in Tarn Taran districts have been affected by floods due to the release of excess water.

In Tarn Taran district, a few villages along the India-Pakistan border submerged under 15 feet of floodwater. The administrations in both the border districts have engaged teams of the Army, NDRF, BSF and Punjab Police to rescue the people and livestock.

Gurdaspur deputy commissioner (DC) Himanshu Aggarwal said, “There are around 90 villages in the district where the floodwater has entered out of which in only 12 villages, the population has been affected. On Friday, the water receded by around 2 to 2.5 feet. The main reason is that the excess water released from the Pong Dam has reduced to around 80,000 cusecs, which was 1.5 lakh cusecs on Thursday night. We are hoping that the water level will go down further in the next few hours. Expect for the death of two teenage boys there has been no report of any casualties in Gurdaspur. Some houses and fields have been damaged, but assessment will be done once the water goes down.”

On Thursday, the Gurdaspur administration evacuated around 5,000 people to safer locations.

DC Tarn Taran Baldeep Kaur said, “Around 39 villages have been hit by floods. As per our preliminary report, 39,000 acres of agricultural fields have been damaged in the floods. Some areas along the barbed wire fence along the international border, including Jhugian Natha Singh village, are submerged under 15 feet of water. Rescue operations are on and so far we have evacuated 121 people.”

The water inflow at Hairke Headworks was recorded at 3 lakh cusecs on Friday evening, of which 2.85 lakh cusecs was released downstream. While 4,049 cusecs and 1.1 lakh cusecs was released in the Ferozepur Feeder Canal and Rajasthan Feeder Canal, respectively.

45 villages in Kapurthala district affected

As many as 45 villages have been largely affected due to floods due to a swollen Beas in the Kapurthala district. Most of these villages are situated in the Mand area. However, the water level in Beas has reduced as the flow was recorded 2 lakh cusecs on Friday, while it was 2.53 lakh cusecs on Thursday.

Kapurthala deputy commissioner Capt Karnail Singh said as many as 150 people have been moved to safer places by the teams of National Disaster Response Team (NDRF) and Indian Army in Baupur and Busowal villages of the Sultanpur Lodhi sub-division so far.

“We are focussing on evacuation operations and strengthening of dhussi bundh so that there is no breach. The situation is under control, and all the departments are involved in relief and rescue operations,” the DC said.

He added that two teams comprising 24 NDRF personnel along with Army teams are continuously touring the affected villages to provide help and other logistics.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old Lakhwinder Singh, who was swept away in the strong currents in Talwandi Kuka village, remained untraceable. As many as four teams of divers are trying to trace him.

The affected villages include Gamewal, Ahlikalan, Mand Mubarakpur, Sangra, Mand Gujarpur, Mand Bhim Kadim, Mand Bhim Jadid, Kishanpur Khadka, Mand Munda, Baupur Kadim, Rampur Gora, Mohammadabad, Bhaini Kadarbaksh, Nabipur, Bhaini Bahadur, Pasan Jadid, Akal Pur, Doda Wazir, Muhammad Ali Khan Wala, Doda Khamwala, Sherpur Dogra, Alak Kha Wala, Chhanna Shersingh, Faridpur, Khijarpur, Foldiwal, Mehwal, Bhaini Husse Khan, Shivdayal Wala, Baja, Jhugi Ariya and Jhuggian Dogra.

Trains cancelled, 1500 evacuated in Ferozepur, Fazilka

Following the release of 2.60 lakh cusecs of water from Harikee headworks on Friday early morning, the flood situation turned grim in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts.

The road link to as many as 20 border villages in Ferozepur was snapped as water flowed over the only bridge connecting the area.

As many as 19 schools in Ferozepur and 12 in Fazilka district have been closed down temporarily.

“Following rise of water in Sutlej, several government primary schools in Nihalewala, government middle schools in Nihalewala, government primary school in Tendi, Jhugge Hazara Singh, Gatti Raheema Ke, Rajo Ke Uspaar, Bhakkhara, Bogi Wala, Khundar Gatti, Dona Matar, Hussainiwala Workshop, Gulam Hussain Wala, Kuttabdine Wala, and Barea Ke, as well as the government middle schools in Ale Wala and SSS- Dona Matar, SSSS-Barea Ke, SSSS-Rajo Ke, and SSSS- Dhira Ghara, will remain closed,” Rajesh Dhiman, deputy commissioner, Ferozepur, said.

“The teams of Army, Border Security Force (BSF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and police personnel along with administrative officials have launched rescue operations in Gurvinder Singh of Basti Kishanpura. As many as 1500 villagers were evacuated to safer places,” the DC added.

Gurvinder Singh, a flood victim, recalled how he saved his life by climbing up a tree as the water level rose rapidly in his village. “ I was stuck on the tree for close to two hours before help arrived,” he said.

Meanwhile the work to plug a breach and repair the bridge at border village Hajara Singh Wala is also going on.

“Heavy flow of water swept away a JCB being used to fill the breaches to stop further erosion due to water released from Hussainiwala Headworks,” said Satwant Singh, a native of a border village Ghatti Rajjo Ke.

In Fazilka, 12 government and private schools have been closed till August 23.

Fazilka DC Senu Duggal appealed to public to keep away from water bodies.

As many as 14 trains in Ferozepur have been cancelled, and four diverted, railway officials said.

Several villages cut off in Rupnagar

Rupnagar The situation in flood-hit areas of Punjab’s Rupnagar district remained grim on the fourth day on Friday. More than a dozen villages along the Sutlej are still cut off from the mainland, officials said.

The district administration has declared holiday till further orders in all the schools in flood-hit areas. Rupnagar Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav said on Friday said that for the last few days, the district administration is helping affected people with food, drinking water and medical aid.

She said 22 nodal officers remain present round the clock in 22 villages where danger of floods was high. She appealed to villagers not to panic and not to fall prey to rumours.

In Hoshiarpur, Union minister of state for commerce and industry Som Parkash, along with Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar visited the flood-affected villages in the Tanda and Mukerian.

Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said the situation is improving in the flood-affected areas and the floodwaters have started to recede.