Teams of the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF),SDRF, and BSF were pressed into service on Tuesday to launch an extensive humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation in flood-affected areas in Gurdaspur district
The army deployed multiple rescue columns and helicopters to evacuate stranded civilians from many marooned areas, and the rescue efforts are ongoing at various places. In the Mamun sector in Pathankot area of Punjab, the army spokesman said coordinated ground and helicopter rescue missions are underway, and so far, many civilians and BSF personnel have been shifted to safer places.
At least 11 BSF personnel were safely evacuated from Nikka Border Outpost, seven civilians airlifted to Taragarh Government Senior Secondary School from Kachle village, and two individuals rescued by helicopter from Shahpur Kandi area, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab has worsened the flood situation with vast swathes of land in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, and Amritsar districts in the Majha area, falling between the Beas and Ravi rivers, inundated.
Water discharge from Ranjit Sagar Dam and the Ujh River damaged several sections of the dhussi bundhs along the Ravi, inundating around 15 villages in Dinanagar tehsil of Gurdaspur district.
{{/usCountry}}Water discharge from Ranjit Sagar Dam and the Ujh River damaged several sections of the dhussi bundhs along the Ravi, inundating around 15 villages in Dinanagar tehsil of Gurdaspur district.
{{/usCountry}}Embankment on Ravi at Ghaniye Ke village in Dera Baba Nanak sub-division of Gurdaspur district was breached on Tuesday, inundating hundreds of acres of farmland and damaging crops. In the Ajnala block of Amritsar district, the flood damaged crops on hundreds of acres of land.
Gurnam Singh, former sarpanch of Dugri village situated in the catchment area of the Ravi in Gurdaspur district, said such of situation prevailed in 1988 when entire Punjab witnessed one of the biggest floods in the history. “After decades, we are suffering from this situation first time. As per my observation, the situation is worse now. However, the government is doing nothing”, he said.
Floodwater entered the houses and schools in many villages falling in the Kalanaur block of Gurdaspur district.
The army, working along with NDRF, SDRF, and police teams, evacuated approximately 70 individuals from Jagochak Tanda village.
The BSF carried rescued 60 civilians from the flood-affected village of Diller Pur Kheda in Dinanagar block of Gurdaspur district.
The district administration has established relief camps for flood-affected village residents at Village Marara, Bahmani, Government Senior Secondary School Gahlari, and Gurdwara Tahli Sahib, providing accommodation and meals for displaced families. Community kitchens have been established in schools at Taragarh and Narot Jaimal Singh villages. Rescue centres have been set up across multiple locations in Pathankot district including Kiri Khurd, Kathlour, Taragarh, Narot Jaimal Singh, Kharkhra Thuthowal, Khojki Chak, Bamial, Nangal, Pathankot, Bani Lodhi and Ferozepur Kalan.
The Pathankot administration had set up two shelter homes at Radha Soami Satsang Beas congregation centre on Dalhousie road and at Gurdwara Barath Sahib.
Visiting the flood affected areas of Gurdaspur and Pathankot, water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal cautioned that additional water continues flowing from mountainous regions, potentially raising water levels further.
Madhopur headworks gates opened
In Pathankot, the gates of Madhopur Headworks were opened on Tuesday after a large quantity of water was released from the Ranjit Sagar Dam. Transportation over the Madhopur bridge was restricted to prevent any untoward incident. On Tuesday, after 1.5 lakh cusecs of water was released from Ranjit Sagar Dam into the Ravi with the opening of seven gates, the Madhopur headworks opened all gates to release approximately 1.75 lakh cusecs of water. This contributed to the rise of water in the river. As a result, 80 villages falling between the river and the international border were badly affected.
At the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers, the water level at Harike Headworks is continuously rising, triggering more flood fears in the districts of Tarn Taran and Ferozepur. This morning, the inflow stood at 2,44,000 cusecs, and by 4 pm it had increased to 2,73,000 cusecs. As much as 2,60,000 cusecs of water was released downstream.
In the border area of Khemkaran of Tarn Taran district, due to the heavy flow of rainwater coming from the higher regions into the Kasur drain flowing along the border, and the rising water level of the adjoining defence drain, a flood-like situation has arisen near the border.