Punjab: Several districts under grip of floods; rescue operations intensified

Chandigarh, Aug 27 (PTI) There was no respite for villages in several districts as Punjab remained under the grip of massive floods even as various state and central agencies intensified rescue and relief operations on Wednesday.

The worst-affected villages are in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts.

Scores of people in flood-ravaged areas were evacuated to safer places, officials said.

In Gurdaspur's Daburi, 381 students and 70 teachers stranded due to flooding in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya were rescued, they said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the flood-hit areas in Gurdaspur district to take stock of the situation and asked the district administration to use the state government's helicopter for delivering relief supplies to those affected.

The Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets rose following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, inundating large swathes of farmland and villages along these rivers.

The situation continued to remain grim in many flood-hit areas in Punjab while the respective district administrations with the help of NDRF, Army and state agencies continued to carry out relief and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, water level in the Pong dam on Wednesday stood at 1,393.68 feet, around three feet more than what it was on Tuesday. The dam's upper limit capacity was 1,390 feet. The water inflow and outflow were recorded at 94,845 cusecs.

In Bhakra dam, the water level was 1,671.90 feet, nine feet below the danger mark. The water inflow in the Bhakra dam was 59,442 cusecs and outflow was 43,882 cusecs.

Several teams of the NDRF, SDRF, Army, BSF, state police and respective district administrations carried out relief and evacuation operations.

In Pathankot, the Indian Air Force airlifted 60 irrigation officials who were deployed to open the gates of the Madhopur barrage on Wednesday, the officials said, adding that one officer is missing.

Additionally, two gates of the Madhopur Headworks, located on the Ravi river, have been damaged, they said.

"60 people have been rescued with the help of choppers of the Air Force," Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal said.

The Madhopur Headworks has a total of 54 flood gates that control the flow of water. On Tuesday, the water flow through the headworks was measured at 200,000 cusecs, which has since decreased to 62,000 cusecs.

Despite dangerous flying conditions, the Indian Army Aviation undertook a "high-risk" helicopter rescue operation in Pathankot and evacuated stranded civilians and CRPF personnel from a building surrounded by floodwaters that gave way shortly after, the officials said.

In Pathankot, several locations including Sujanpur, Malikpur, Budha Nagar and surrounding areas were flooded. Besides, a breach in the UBDC canal near Gulpur Simbli village caused flooding in that area as well.

Teams from the NDRF and the BSF conducted a rescue operation for 381 students and 70 teachers at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Gurdaspur's Daburi, who were stranded due to flooding in the school campus and surrounding areas, officials said.

The Daburi area was inundated as the water level of the Ravi river rose, reaching depths of 4-5 feet within the school.

The school principal received a notice for not sending the children and staff home despite a holiday being declared. Boats were deployed to evacuate the trapped students and staff to safer locations, the officials.

In Amritsar, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahwney took charge of the relief operation in Ajnala where a breach occurred in an embankment because of the rising water level in the Ravi river.

She said water entered 20 villages of the Ajnala constituency, adding that the NDRF has been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

She appealed to people in flood-hit areas to move to safer places.

The flood situation in Ferozepur, a border district, remained serious on Wednesday as more than 2,000 people were rescued from affected villages in the past 48 hours, said the officials.

Villages worst hit by rising Sutlej waters include Kaluwala, Tendi Wala, Bagge Wala, Nihala Lavera, Nihala Kilcha, Habib Ke, Gatti Rajo Ke, and Navi Gatti Rajo Ke. Residents were evacuated after water levels rose sharply, forcing many to leave their homes and livestock behind.

Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said 12 relief camps have been established at Bagge Wala, Bare Ke, Dulchi Ke, Fatte Wala, Joege Wala, Dona Mathar, and Madi Ke.

The Punjab government mobilized its entire cabinet to the affected districts to oversee relief operations and ensure the safety of residents.

CM Mann directed all the ministers to remain in the field until the situation is under control.

The cabinet ministers are actively monitoring the distribution of essential supplies, managing evacuation efforts, and addressing the immediate needs of those displaced by the floods, said the officials.

"Our top priority is to save every life and protect every property," said Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema while reviewing the current situation. PTI CHS KVK KVK