Water recedes in flood-hit areas of Punjab, rescue operation still on

Water receded at many flood-hit areas in Punjab even as rescue and relief operations by teams of National Disaster Response Force, Army and Border Security Force continued on Saturday, officials.

Around 150 villages in districts including Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Rupnagar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, were impacted following the release of excess water from the Pong and the Bhakra dams.

After the release of surplus water from the two reservoirs on August 14, the water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers had risen, flooding the low lying areas and also which are located near the banks.

In Ferozepur, several villages situated near the Sutlej river continued to remain inundated.

 

The district administration with the help of NDRF, Army and BSF rescued more than 2,500 villagers belonging to Kamale Wala, Ali ke, Gatti Raji ke, New Gatti Rajo ke, Chandi Wala, Jhugge Hajara Singh Wala, Jallo ke, Bhane Wala, Bhakhra, Tendi Wala, Metab Singh, Sheene Wala, Churi Wala, Khunder Gatti, New Bare ke, Peer Ismail Khan, Machhiwara and other villages during the last two days.

The 'Samadhi' of 'Punjab Mata' Vidyavati (mother of Shaheed Bhagat Singh) situated near national martyrs' memorial, and open air theatre where the light and sound show used to take place, got submerged up to six feet.

The villagers, who had been rescued by the administration, took shelter at the national martyrs' memorial.

More than 2.30 lakh cusecs water was released from Harike headworks downstream on Saturday while 2.82 lakh cusecs water was released from Hussainiwala headworks downstream, the officials said.

Ferozepur deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said the evacuation of the villagers to relief camps is the first priority of the administration.

"We are also trying to provide dry ration for the villagers and green fodder for their animals also with the help of various non-government organisations," Dhiman said.

The residents belonging to the flood affected villages are recalling the terrifying memories of 1988 floods when the entire Ferozepur had got submerged in floods.

"I still remember the chaos of 1988 floods when this entire area had got submerged into water up to 5-6 feet. Though every year we face situations of floods in this area but this year, it reminded me of 1988 fury," said Sucha Singh (70), a resident of Village New Gatti Rajo ke.

Gurdaspur DC Himanshu Aggarwal said it was a matter of relief that floodwaters have receded in most of the areas.

Power supply has also been restored, he stated, adding that the work on plugging a breach along the Bear river is 90 per cent complete.

Officials concerned have been assigned the duty of assessing the losses caused by the floodwaters, he added.

However, the DC said the assessment of crop damage will be done once the water recedes from fields.

In Hoshiarpur, the situation has started improving in flood-hit areas of Talwara, Mukerian, Dasuya, and Tanda.

Hoshiapur DC Komal Mittal said flood waters have receded significantly, and residents have returned to their homes from relief camps, except for the village of Abdullapur in the Tanda area.

The department is making arrangements to address post-flood challenges, including preventing waterborne diseases that often occur after floods, the officials said.

The assessment of damage to houses in all the affected villages is going on, they further said.

Several relief camps are still operational in the flood-affected regions, Mittal said.

An incident of theft was reported from the Fatta Chak village, where valuables were stolen from a house in the absence of the owners.

The residents had evacuated their house and moved to a safer location due to the floods.

The administration has notified the police about this incident, and an investigation is currently underway.

In Kapurthala, more than 150 people were rescued from the flood-hit areas of Baupur village.

Officials said more than 450 people have been rescued in the last three days.

Six teams of the Army and NDRF were also carrying out the relief work and supplying cooked food with the help of motorboats.

Irrigation Department Principal Secretary Krishan Kumar, along with a team of officers of the drainage department, visited the Goindwal bridge to assess the damage caused by the floods.

Forty-five villages have been affected by the floodwaters of the Beas river and paddy crops sown in the affected villages have been submerged.