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Punjab: 5 more Ferozepur villages inundated after Harike discharge
With this, 112 villages have been submerged in the district, affecting around 30,000 lives, deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said.
Fresh release of water from the Harike headworks left five more villages inundated in Ferozepur district on Monday. With this, 112 villages have been submerged in the district, affecting around 30,000 lives, deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said.
By Monday afternoon, 2,66,026 cusecs of water had been released from Harike headworks, inundating low-lying areas of Ferozepur, while another 2,65,897 cusecs discharged from Hussainiwala headworks worsened the situation in Fazilka and even spilled into Pakistan. Over 24 villages in Fazilka remained inundated.
Authorities warned that the Bhakra dam is barely six feet below its danger mark of 1,680 feet, while the Pong dam has already touched its warning level of 1,390 feet. In Habib Kee village, 5 km from Ferozepur, Sutlej’s fierce currents have been eating into the embankment for the past three days, posing a threat to Ferozepur city. To avert disaster, the army, administration and villagers are working tirelessly, stacking mud sacks and reinforcing the bundh.
In Mallanwala, nearly two dozen villages lie submerged under 15 feet of water, wiping out paddy and vegetable crops and plunging farmers deeper into crisis. The Hussainiwala sector remains on edge, with about 15 villages—including New Gatti Rajoke, Tendi Wala, Jalloke, and Khundar Gatti—under threat, compelling families to flee to safer places.
Many families are spending nights on roads with their cattle, while women, children and elderly have been shifted to safer locations. Several residents have refused to leave their homes fearing theft.
Ferozepur DC Deepshikha Sharma said 3,410 people have been rescued so far with the support of the army, NDRF, BSF and police. Eight relief camps have been established across the district, providing food, shelter and medical facilities.
Ghanshyam Thori, special secretary and mission director of the National Health Mission, inspected medical relief arrangements in Ferozepur and Fazilka. At Fazilka, over 60 medical teams and 27 ambulances have been deployed with more than 8,700 patients treated so far in flood-affected villages.
