Punjab floods: Over 6,600 rescued; all-terrain vehicles deployed in Amritsar, drone in Gurdaspur

Chandigarh, Aug 28 (PTI) More than 6,600 people have been evacuated from several areas flooded in Punjab, officials said on Thursday, even as a minister made an urgent plea to the Centre to accord the rain-ravaged state a special package.

As the flooding worsened in many areas, the Amritsar administration deployed amphibious all-terrain off road-ATOR vehicles and boats for evacuating those stranded in the Ramdas area.

An ATOR vehicle is designed to move through water and rugged terrain.

The Gurdaspur authorities flew a drone to deliver medicines, dry ration, water bottles to affected people in Dera Baba Nanak, said officials.

Meanwhile, it was announced that Chief Minister Mann, his cabinet colleagues, and party MLAs will donate their one-month salary towards relief and rescue efforts.

Punjab is witnessing its worst floods, some say, since 1988, with the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers inundating large tracts of farmlands and villages.

Heavy rains over days in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir sent these three rivers in spate.

Villages in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar are the worst-affected.

The Indian Army, Border Security Force, Indian Air Force and National Disaster Response Force have been deployed to carry out the evacuation and deliver relief supplies.

According to a statement by Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal and Advisor to Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department Deepak Bali, the 6,600 rescued were housed in 88 relief camps.

In Jalandhar, a round-the-clock control room (0181-2240064) has been set up to monitor rescue and relief operations.

According to the statement, in all, 835 villages have been impacted by floods.

Of them, 14 are in Amritsar, 21 in Bathinda, 20 in Ludhiana, 81 in Pathankot, 20 in Fazilka, 11 in Mansa, 45 in Tarn Taran, seven in Barnala, and three in SBS Nagar.

Sixty-four villages in Sri Muktsar Sahib, 22 in Sangrur, 93 in Ferozepur, 107 in Kapurthala, 202 in Gurdaspur, 35 in Moga, 85 in Hoshiarpur, two in Rupnagar, and one each in SAS Nagar, Malerkotla, and Fatehgarh Sahib are also flooded.

Of the 6,600 people evacuated, 2,007 were rescued from Ferozepur, 2,200 from Gurdaspur, 1,100 from Pathankot, 220 from Kapurthala, 1,052 from Hoshiarpur, and 20 from Moga.

Mann conducted a tour of the flooded areas and was briefed by the local officials on the damage caused to the standing crops, houses, public installations and livestock due to floods.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal came down heavily on the Centre and neighbouring states, alleging that just a few months ago when it was about diverting Punjab's water, every law and regulation was "conveniently set aside to exploit the state's share." Yet now, when Punjab is in dire need of support, no one is stepping forward to help, he alleged.

During his visit to flood-hit areas in Kawaan Wali Pattan in Fazilka, Goyal said since Punjab is the food bowl of the nation, it becomes the moral responsibility of the Centre to provide it a special relief package suo moto.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said his government stands with Punjab.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the state cabinet here, Saini said he has written a letter to Mann. PTI CHS VN VN