Flooded Sutlej disturbs villages in Punjab, rescue operations underway

Chandigarh: The flood situation in Punjab remained serious on Monday with Sutlej river missing Dhussi Bands at numerous spots and flooding villages in Doaba and Malwa region of the state. Many breaches were reported to be 50 to 70 feet wide.

Terming the deluge as “unprecedented”, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh declared the floods a natural calamity, The Indian Express reported.

The CM has announced Rs 100 crore for emergency relief and rehabilitation measures. He also ordered special ‘girdawari’ (crop loss assessment) as soon as the water recedes.

After IIT Ropar was flooded with water, Singh directed the authorities to ensure that students were accommodated at Punjab Bhawan and Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh.

The CM also toured Ropar and met flood-affected people and condoled the deaths of three people due to roof collapse in Ludhiana.

The flooding was triggered by the release of more than 2.40 lakh cusecs water in the Sutlej from Ropar Headworks on Sunday.

Flowing above its capacity, Bhakra dam released around one lakh cusecs downstream. Though Monday was dry, IMD has predicted heavy rain in the catchment area of the river in the following days.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) also called a meeting of three states — Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan — Tuesday to discuss the situation if the inflow into the reservoir continues unabated.

On Monday, Army, NDRF and State Disaster Relief teams conducted rescue operations in Phillaur and saved more than 80 lives. In Ropar, nearly 700 who were left stranded in flood waters were rescued Monday.