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Four children among 22 people rescued as water rises in Sutlej
Teams of district administration, including sub divisional magistrate Kuljeet Bawa, officials of the irrigation department and police teams reached the spot to access the situation
: Around 22 people, including four children, who were living in shanties in Sensowal Khurd village near the banks of Sutlej, were rescued by a boat after heavy rains led to a rise in the river’s water level, inundating thousands of acres of paddy fields.
Teams of district administration, including sub divisional magistrate Kuljeet Bawa, officials of the irrigation department and police teams reached the spot to access the situation. The rescued persons were brought to Dhulewal village.
As per officials, the locals had gone near the river for paddy transplantation and were stuck there after the water level rose in the river.
Officials said that efforts are being made to bring the situation under control.
Police have created a police post near the village to keep a vigil over the area and swiftly respond to any emergency.
According to officials, the Sutlej River is flowing below the flood level. Residents of the area said that as water is being released into the river, they fear a breach in the banks.
Machhiwara inundated
Heavy rains for the last two days left behind a trail of devastation in villages in the Machhiwara area of the district. The incessant rains disconnected several areas of the subdivision. The Bet area of the region is among the worst affected as it is close to the river.
The villages which have been affected include Sherpur, Shergarh, Fatehgarh Bet, Mand Sheriyan, Sensowal, and Pvaat. Several link roads in these villages have been submerged under water and farmers are fearing loss of crops that had just been sown.
To drain the water from low-lying areas, temporary arrangements are being made by the authorities, while locals are also fortifying areas using sandbags to stop water from entering the villages.
Electricity supply affected
Due to heavy rains, the electricity department building hosting a 66 KV electricity grid was submerged in water after which the electricity supply of as many as 15 villages in the area was suspended. The electricity department officials said that efforts are underway to supply electricity to the villages from any nearby grid.
