The district administration of SBS Nagar has deployed the Army and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) for rescue operations in the wake of excess water in the Sutlej river. Deputy commissioner Vinay Bublani, while asking residents to shift to safer places, ordered the evacuation of around 67 low-lying villages, 41 of Nawanshahr sub-division and 26 of Balachaur.
On Sunday, army jawans saved two men, besides nine cattle neat the Mattewara Bridge at Begowal village of Nawanshahr district.
The district administration has also started repair on vulnerbale points, where soil had started eroding the banks of the Sutlej river. The drainage department along with MNREGA workers carried out repair work.
SBS Nagar SP Alka Meena said that SP (H) Harish Dayama would keep liaison with the army and NDRF.
“He would be leading them to rescue points in case of an emergency,” she claimed. In Dugri village near Balachaur, water entered the villages through a rivulet due to the heavy water pressure from Sutlej, which made residents of nearby villages shift to relief camps.
The DC added that the discharge of water from Ropar headworks had started decreasing since noon. It was 1.6 lakh cusec at 6pm on Sunday. About noon, this figure was 2.2 lakh cusec. “The decrease in discharge has given a sigh of relief to the district administration but we will remain vigilant overnight,” he added.
Rupnagar declares holiday today; 11 trains cancelled
{{/usCountry}}Rupnagar declares holiday today; 11 trains cancelled
{{/usCountry}}Flood water from the Sutlej river and the Budhki rivulet entered villages of Rupnagar district, following the opening of flood gates of the Bhakra Dam and heavy rain in the region since Saturday.
A large number of shacks located along the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar were either washed away or submerged. Sutlej entered Chupki and Chak Dheran villages.
The Budhki rivulet was breached Khairabad village near Rupnagar leading to the flooding of Khairabad, Budha Bheora, Phool Khurd, Phool Kalan, Reduana villages and the IIT, Ropar campus. The Sirsa rivulet flooded Ranjitpura, Aspur. Miani and Majri.
In Anandpur Sahib, flood water entered Laudipur, Burj, Mataur, Nikkuwal, Gajpur,Chandpur, Hariwal and Jhinjri villages, damaging crop in thousands of acres in a large number of villages in the area. Laudipur Burj, Ghatiwal, Mataur residents staged a dharna, demanding a special girdwari for damage to crops. National Disaster Reponse Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed to evacuate people at villages in the Anandpur Sahib area.
The Northern railways gave cancelled 11 trains on AmbalaNangal-Daulatpur-Una and Chandigarh-Nangal-DaulatpurUna section. Rupnagar district administration has declared a holiday in all educational institutions in the district on Monday (August 19).
Navaodya Vidyalaya student, teachers rescued in Mohali
Students and teachers of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Rakoli village, near Jhingran Kalan on the Siswan seasonal rivulet bed in Mohali were rescued by a team of Mohali administration after they were stuck in the flood.
Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said around 430 students and 40 teachers and other staff members were rescued and evacuated from school building which was submerged in three-feet water.
All teachers reside in the school with their families, he said.
The school was set up in 2009 by the Mohali administration without taking the pre-requisite no objection certificate (NOC) from the authorities.
Slight taper in rain from today: Met CHANDIGARH
The weather department has said that the current spell of rain was in the category of heavy to extremely heavy. In terms of numbers this means that its magnitude was 70mm to 220mm.
Surender Paul, a top officer in the metrological department, said, “The amount of rain will taper by Monday and another spell is expected to begin from August 23. This is also expected to bring good quantity of water.”
State agriculture director Sutantar Kumar Airi told HT that the rain was a boon for all crops in the kharif season, particularly paddy. “Rain is good for maize and cotton. Farmers, however, need to maintain the drainage system in their fields and should not let water accumulate in their fields.”