Rain batter Haryana, flood-hit Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 4 (PTI) Rain lashed parts of flood-hit Punjab and neighbouring Haryana again, with their common capital Chandigarh receiving 20.4 mm of showers during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 am on Thursday.

Rains have compounded the flood situation in Punjab with the death toll rising to 37, while crops on 1.75 lakh hectares of land in 23 districts got damaged by the worst deluge in the state since 1988.

Punjab's Mohali logged 18 mm of rain, followed by 14.8 mm in Gurdaspur, 6.4 mm in Amritsar, 2.3 mm in Patiala, and 0.4 mm in Ludhiana. In Haryana in the past 24 hours, Panchkula received 76 mm of rain followed 16.8 mm in Karnal, 12.6 mm in Hisar, 5.3 mm in Ambala and 1.8 mm in Rohtak. Incessant rains over the past few days had led to an increase in the water levels of some rivers in Punjab and Haryana.

The Hathnikund barrage, in Haryana's Yamunanagar district, discharged 3,29,313 cusec of water at 9 am on Monday, which was the highest recorded so far this monsoon.

At 8 am on Thursday, it received a discharge of 1.42 lakh cusecs from the Barrage.

Relief and rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, Border Security Force, Punjab Police and district authorities are underway in the affected areas, officials said.

The Punjab government on Wednesday extended the closure of all schools, colleges and universities till September 7 due to the prevailing flood situation in the state.

In Haryana, in view of the prevalent situation arising out of incessant rains causing waterlogging across several districts, the state's Public Health and Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting, directing officials to ensure immediate drainage and uninterrupted drinking water supply across the state.

State's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel also chaired a high-level review meeting here on Wednesday to assess the situation arising due to above-normal rainfall and preparations for flood management in the state. PTI SUN APL OZ OZ