The districts of Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur are the worst hit following the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams.
Published Aug 17, 2023 | 3:54 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 17, 2023 | 3:55 AM
Rescue operations underway in the flood affected areas in Punjab. (Supplied)
As Himachal floods have spilled across state borders, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has deputed all ministers to visit flood-hit areas in the state and lead rescue and relief operations.
The districts of Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur are the worst hit, with many areas inundated, following the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams.
The Bhakra dam on the Sutlej river and the Pong dam on the Beas river — both in Himachal Pradesh — are brimming after heavy rain in their respective catchment areas.
Authorities have already launched rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas in the three aforementioned districts, and were keeping a watch on the situation.
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Mann directed his ministers to visit flood-hit areas and also issued directions to depute teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
In an advisory on Monday, the Punjab government asked residents of the Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran districts not to venture near the Beas after it was decided that water from the Pong dam would be released.
Water released from the dams entered low-lying areas and several villages, and even some houses, located on the banks of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
Crops were also submerged in several places because of floodwaters, villagers said. Many were evacuated to safety.
“I am personally monitoring the situation. There is no need to panic as the state government is in constant touch with the Himachal government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) due to the release of excess water from hilly areas,” said Mann in a statement on Monday.
“The situation at the Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams is also fully under control. The safety of life and property of the people is the top priority of state government,” he added.
The chief minister said that assistance was being provided even to the last person in far-flung areas of the state.
He added that though the situation was under control, priority was still being given to rescue and relief works in the badly-affected areas of the state.
Minister for Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Bram Shanker Jimpa on Wednesday visited the flood-affected villages of Tanda and Mukerian in the Hoshiarpur district.
He said that the priority of the Punjab government was to safely evacuate the people of the flood-affected villages.
“NDRF and SDRF teams in the district are engaged in the work of evacuating the people safely. Currently, the entire district administration is on alert and working day and night for the safety of the flood-affected people,” said Jimpa.
He gave assurances that efforts were being made by the district administration to provide all possible facilities in the relief camps, so the displaced people did not face any problem.
