Fresh spell of rain in several parts of flood-hit Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 1 (PTI) Rains lashed several parts of flood-hit Punjab on Monday, throwing life out of gear, with three teenagers losing their lives in Ludhiana in rain-related incidents.

According to the meteorological centre here, several places in Punjab and neighbouring Haryana received rain during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Monday.

Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets are in spate due to heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts are among the worst-affected districts with scores of villages affected there by the floods.

As more rain fell on Monday, the conditions in the state worsened further.

The Ludhiana district administration temporarily shut down all dyeing plants along Bahadur ke Road, Tajpur Road, Moti Nagar and industrial areas due to the backflow of the Sutlej river at the Bhattian Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

According to the administration's orders, the backflow has impacted the STP's functioning, causing sewer lines to become surcharged and potentially leading to overflows in low-lying areas. Consequently, all dyeing clusters have been temporarily closed until the situation improves.

Two teenagers and one boy lost their lives in the district, officials said. One 19-year-old, Tejwant Singh, and his brother, Manjot Singh, were electrocuted in Sangowal village after they came into contact with the live electric wires. In a separate incident, 10-year-old Vikas Jha, son of a daily wager, died when his house collapsed in New Puneet Nagar colony on Tibba Road, burying him under the debris, said police.

In Kapurthala, incessant rains throughout the night and during the day worsened the flood situation in the district, particularly in Sultanpur Lodhi.

Meanwhile, the Beas river's water level has started causing damage to standing paddy crops sown over 50,000 acres of land and also threatening the 'dhussi bandhs', embankments made of earthen material.

Phagwara is also reeling under torrential rain, where heavy downpours since last night have resulted in waterlogging of the low-lying areas, throwing life out of gear. Rainwater has entered shops, especially on Gaushala Road, causing damage to wares and goods.

Ferozepur, about 100 km southwest of Kapurthala, is bearing swollen Sutlej, affecting more than 28,000 people across 112 villages.

Officials said that relief and rescue operations by the NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities are underway on a war footing in the affected areas.

However, in view of the continuous rainfall and the forecast of more rain, Additional Deputy Commissioner Phagwara Dr Akshita Gupta has issued an advisory.

According to a press note issued on Monday, Gupta said that due to the persistent rains, the condition of rivers, canals and low-lying areas is critical.

She appealed to the public to avoid using unpaved roads, temporary pathways and areas near drains/streams in villages and to refrain from unnecessary travel.

She urged residents to remain alert and take necessary precautions, including ensuring no water stagnates on rooftops, and report houses in extremely weak condition to the authorities so that safety arrangements can be made.

PTI COR CHS AMJ AMJ