Punjab: Relief operations underway as swollen rivers inundate villages; schools shut from Aug 27-30

As incessant rains and swollen rivers submerged many villages and low-lying areas in Punjab, massive relief and rescue operations on Tuesday were conducted in several districts with teams of various central and state agencies and the Army evacuating residents to safer places.

With the weather department predicting more rains in coming days, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced closure of all schools in the state from August 27 to 30.

The flood-situation has turned grim in Punjab after the water levels in 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 release of surplus water from the Pong, Bhakra and Ranjit Sagar dams have also compounded the woes of villages in several districts of Punjab, as they fear massive crop damage.

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

A central flood control room has been established at the Circuit House in Jalandhar to tackle any possible flood situation in Punjab and to ensure immediate relief in affected areas, said officials.

Several ministers including Lal Chand Kataruchak, Barinder Kumar Goyal, and Harbhajan Singh visited the flood-affected areas in Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts to take stock of the situation and supervise relief measures.

As the water level continued to rise in Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, the respective district authorities urged villagers in affected areas to move to safer places. Appeals were made to residents to move women, children, and elderly people to safer places immediately.

Many villagers in flood-hit places have either shifted to relief camps or to their relatives' places.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said the state government has issued directions to district administrations and concerned departments' officials to maintain round-the-clock presence at the ground level for rescue and relief operations.

All leaves for officers and staff has been cancelled, he said.

In Pathankot, several villages along the India-Pakistan border were flooded because of rising water levels in the Ravi, Ujh and Jalalian rivers following the release of water from the Ranjit Sagar dam, said the officials.

The rivers are experiencing unprecedented flow, submerging most villages in the Narot Jaimal Singh and Bamial blocks.

Many villagers and their livestock including goats and buffaloes in flood-hit areas were taken to safer places with the help of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF, the officials said.

The Army deployed its chopper and airlifted stranded people, they added.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal, who visited Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts, said because of rains in its catchment areas, the water level in Ranjit Sagar dam has reached 527 metres. Around 1.10 lakh cusecs of water was released from the dam on Tuesday.

Goyal said the government's immediate priorities include protecting lives and property, minimizing damage and delivering relief supplies to affected people.

Community kitchens have been established in schools at Taragarh and Narot Jaimal Singh villages.

A helicopter assistance is also being taken to evacuate people to safer places, said the minister.

Two relief camps have been set up at Satsang Beas Centre, Pathankot and Gosaipur, said Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditua Uppal.

Minister Goyal also stated that around 15 villages along the Ravi river in Dinanagar tehsil of Gurdaspur district have been affected by flooding, where district administration teams, along with the BSF, the Army, SDRF and NDRF units, have been conducting rescue operations since morning.

He said these teams successfully evacuated approximately 70 individuals from village Jagochak Tanda.

He said the government maintains communication with residents of villages affected by swollen Ravi river near Makaura Pattan and will provide all possible assistance.

In Mahatam Nagar village in Fazilka district, a villager, who was staying along with his family at 'dhani' (a small house) “located in fields, moved his belongings in a tractor to some safer place. He also took along his cattle as flood water entered his house.

In Ferozepur district, downstream water level from Harike to Hussainiwala again rose following rains, triggering fears of flooding, with many villagers remaining on alert.

Several people from the villages of Kaluwala, Tendi Wala, Chandiwala, Gatti Rajo Ke, Navi Gatti Rajo Ke, Basti Rahime Ke and others have started shifting their belongings to safer places and many have kept them on the rooftops of their houses.

Swarn Singh, a resident of Kaluwala village, which is surrounded by the Sutlej river on three sides and by Pakistan on the fourth side, said that his entire crop, which had been sown in three acres of land, has been inundated.

The flood situation in many villages in Kapurthala district deteriorated on Tuesday following incessant rains and the swollen Beas river inundating vast tracts of farmlands.

As the Beas river's water levels surged, the Kapurthala district administration further intensified evacuation efforts, relocating residents from flood-affected villages to safer locations on a war-footing.

Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal said over 45 individuals, women and children, were safely evacuated in a single day from villages including Baupur Jadid, Baupur Kadim, Sangra, Rampur Gora, Mand Bhim Kadim, Mand Bandhu Jadid, and Muhammadabad.

The SDRF teams are spearheading these operations, ensuring both the safe rescue of residents and the retrieval of their valuable belongings.

SDRF team commander Inspector Deepak emphasized the teams' commitment to comprehensive rescue operations, stating that ''alongside evacuating residents, we are also securing their essential possessions to minimize their losses.'' The administration has established relief centres at Lakh Varian Government School and Mand Kookan Gurdwara Sahib, providing shelter, food, and medical facilities.

In view of the rising water level of the Beas river in the sub-divisions Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath of Kapurthala district, Deputy Commissioner Panchal conducted an inspection of the Dhussi and advanced embankments on Tuesday to assess the situation and ongoing protective measures.

Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu said that 2.20 lakh cusecs of water has been released from Hussainiwala headworks as she urged people in affected villages to move to safer places.

She said the administration has set up five relief camps.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)