Punjab on edge, rivers in spate

Chandigarh

As Punjab struggled to brace the onslaught of water from the swollen Sutlej and its tributaries, breaching river protection at several places and inundating hundreds of acres of agricultural land, the state government today declared the flood situation a natural calamity.

Chairing a meeting, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asked Financial Commissioner Revenue KBS Sidhu to issue a notification in order to facilitate affected persons to claim insurance against crop loss. He also asked the Finance Department to release Rs 100 crore as relief fund.

As flooding of fields was reported from Jalandhar, Ropar, Ludhiana, Nawanshahr and Pathankot districts, the Chief Minister asked all Deputy Commissioners to coordinate with the police, national and state disaster relief forces and expedite rescue and relief operations.

He declared temporary subsistence allowance for migrant labourers in flood-ravaged areas from the CM’s Relief Fund and asked the Drainage Department to plug breaches. In Jalandhar, breaches in ‘dhussi bundhs’ have been reported at nine places. As many as 81 villages in Jalandhar and 35 in Ropar have been flooded.Breaches in river protection along the Sutlej were also reported in Ludhiana. The Army has reportedly been called in for help in Ferozepur as the Sutlej is in spate there and in Fazilka. Harike witnessed unprecedented flow of water with 1.24 lakh cusecs upstream and 1.13 lakh cusecs flowing downstream. Officials in the Irrigation Department said water inflow into the Sutlej had reduced marginally.

The Ropar barrage yesterday recorded a peak outflow of 2,40,930 cusecs. — TNS

Fields inundated, bundhs breached

81 villages flooded after bundhs breached at nine places in Jalandhar

Army called out in Ferozepur to assist in rescue and relief operations

35 villages flooded in ropar; breaches in river embankments in Ludhiana

Over 1,000 Roads closed

Shimla 459

Mandi 314

Kangra 191

Hamirpur 91