E-Paper
Chandigarh: High alert as Ghaggar, Sukhna water levels up
Two of the three Sukhna floodgates were opened on Friday morning, one at 3.30am and the second at 4am, as the water level breached the danger mark of 1,163 feet
The tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali were on Friday put on flood alert following a sharp rise in the water level of the Ghaggar river and the opening of floodgates at Sukhna Lake after heavy overnight rainfall across the region, officials said.
Two of the three Sukhna floodgates were opened on Friday morning, one at 3.30am and the second at 4am, as the water level breached the danger mark of 1,163 feet. This is the sixth time this monsoon that floodgates of the lake have been opened due to the rising water level. One of the floodgates was closed at 11.30am while the other was closed at 1.30pm as the water level dropped to 1,162.80 ft.
Due to heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh, the Ghaggar river that flows through Panchkula before entering Punjab at Mohali’s Mubarikpur village is in spate. The nine villages of Tiwana, Khajoor Mandi, Sadhanpur, Sarsini, Alamgir, Dangdhera, Mubarikpur, Mirpur, and Bakarpur in Dera Bassi subdivision of Mohali district were put on high alert after the discharge in the Ghaggar river crossed 70,000 cusecs on Friday morning. By afternoon, the water levels receded to around 35,000 cusecs. Deputy commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal toured the affected areas and locals that the embankments were strong and the administration was on full alert. She said teams had been deployed at all sensitive points and locations, including Baltana, Bhankharpur, and Mubarikpur, which are under round-the-clock monitoring.
Some causeways were temporarily closed after water overflow, and traffic diversions were put in place to ensure public safety.
Meanwhile, widespread damage was reported across the tricity. Water flowing down the Kishangarh bridge on Sukhna Choe near Bapu Dham Colony washed away barricades and an iron grille installed on the sides of the bridge. Long traffic jams were reported on the Manimajra and Industrial Area bridges, with the latter closed for several hours, forcing traffic diversions and resulting in persistent congestion.
In Mohali, localities such as Phase 3B2, 5, 7, 11, and Sectors 70 and 71 were left severely waterlogged, with reports of water entering homes and residents having to call fire tenders to pump out water from the streets. In Phase 7 and 8, roads were filled with water up to one feet.
Baltana police post submerged, 2 cops suffer electric shocks
The Baltana police post and Dhakoli police station were also left flooded. While trying to clear the accumulated water, two policemen posted at Dhakoli police station— Constables Makkhan Singh and Kuldeep Singh—suffered electric shocks. They were admitted to Dhakoli civil hospital, where they received first aid and were discharged in the morning.
17 schools in Panchkula to remain closed
Panchkula: Due to waterlogging in schools, Panchkula deputy commissioner Monika Gupta announced that 17 schools in Morni, Raipur Rani, and Barwala areas will remain closed on Saturday. The administration warned that all 14 bhojs (revenue estates) of Morni Hills are prone to landslides and road disruptions due to incessant rain. Visitors have been strictly advised against traveling to Morni until weather conditions improve. Citizens have also been cautioned to stay away from Tangri, Ghaggar, Kaushalya rivers, and other water bodies, where flash floods and a sudden rise in water levels cannot be ruled out.
As per Met officials, around 35.8 mm rain was recorded in Chandigarh on Thursday night and chances of heavy rain will continue over the weekend.
Helplines
Panchkula flood control: 0172-2562135
Mohali DC office control room: 0172-2219506, 76580-51209
Kharar sub division: 0160-2280222
Derabassi sub division: 01762-283224
