Flood-like situation in Punjab, govt on alert

Chandigarh, July 9 (IANS) Flood-like situation has been prevailing in Punjab's Ropar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Ferozepur districts owing to heavy rainfall for the last 24 hours and breaking of embankments of tributaries and overflowing of swollen rivers, damaging the newly planted paddy crop in huge tracts, an official said on Sunday.

Flood rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administration have been deployed. The Indian Army has also been kept on alert. 

Affected villagers blamed the district administrations for its lack of preparedness ahead of the monsoon season.

The worst-affected villages are located along the seasonal Ghaggar river that passes through Patiala and Sangrur districts. Both the districts were worst hit due to floods in the river in 1988, 1993 and 2010.

Many villages, mainly in Ferozepur and Tarn Taran districts, have been badly hit by the swollen Satluj river, damaging crops and forcing tens of thousands of villagers to spend nights on rooftops. 

Even a BSF check post on the India-Pakistan border was washed away in the flood.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asked all Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and officers to stay in their respective areas and reach out to the needy people in this hour of grave crisis.

The Chief Minister, who is personally monitoring the situation, said the ministers that MLAs and officials should go among the people in their area and ensure relief to them at the earliest.

Mann said that an alert has already been issued in low-lying areas, especially those around the rivers, adding the people should not go out of home until some important work is there.

He said due to continuous rain across the state, a flood-like situation has emerged but the government is keeping a regular tab over the situation.

Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said the government is prepared to deal with any eventuality with the sudden rise in the water level in reservoirs.

After visiting banks of the rain-fed Ghaggar rivulet at several places in Moonak, the minister said the situation was under control and there was no need to panic.

Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the minister said all preparations have been made by the Water Resources Department. Officers and employees have been posted in the field to monitor the situation of water level of the seasonal rivers, tributaries and canals.

A flood control room has already been established in the head office. Also, flood control rooms have also been established in all districts.

The minister said the department has already done flood prevention works before the monsoon. A sum of Rs 5.5 crore was spent on prevention works only in Sangrur district. 

He said as far as dams were concerned, satisfactory buffer was available till the maximum level of dams.

The police have also made extensive arrangements to deal with any kind of exigency, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.

He said a state control room has been set up for flood mitigation and officers have been asked to take hourly reports from districts to keep them updated about the current situation.

DGP Yadav and Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla have been supervising the situation in the state, while, CPs and SSPs have also been directed to remain in the field and personally monitor the situation in their districts at regular intervals.

Shukla said teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are on alert and prepared to tackle any kind of crisis, while adding the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been deployed in the flood-ravaged districts, including Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib.

Additionally, the Indian Army has also been asked to remain on alert, he added.