Thousands have been displaced and hundreds have died over the last couple of days ever since unrelenting heavy rains intensified fury.
New Delhi:As rain continues to batter several parts of India, its North states like Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand suffer most from the monsoon mayhem. Extensive damage to human lives, livestock, crops and properties have been reported. Thousands have been displaced and hundreds have died over the last couple of days ever since unrelenting heavy rains intensified fury.
Punjab is the worst hit as of now where all 23 districts of Punjab have been declared flood hit. More than 20,000 people have moved to relief camps and 3.5 lakh people are directly affected by floods in the state that have worsened due to water discharge from Bhakra and Pong dams. The state has never seen such a catastrophe during monsoon since 1988. So far 30 lives have been lost even as rescue and relief operations are underway on a war footing. Alert has been sounded in Rupnagar and Patiala districts, urging people to remain vigilant, while all schools, colleges and universities have been closed till September 7.
While the state administration, Disaster Management teams, Army, BSF and other paramilitary forces are making all efforts in rescuerelief operations, and pulling out people from submerged houses, the top musicians of Punjab have come forward and adopted villages to help them stand back. Film stars like Randeep Hooda and Sonu Sood too are active on ground.
With more than 50 Army columns on the ground activated till now, relief efforts have been running round the clock, rescuing stranded people, restoring vital infrastructure and delivering life-saving assistance. In addition, seven fresh columns have been launched in the areas of Taran Taran, Ferozepur, Shahkot, Phillaur, Dhatewal and in the areas of Sarala (Ghanmaur) and Harchandpura owing to rising water levels in the Ghaggar river in Punjab.
Army's Western Command has been conducting large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations round the clock for more than two weeks under 'Operation Rahat' across the flood-affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, an official statement said on Wednesday. So far, more than 5,500 civilians and 300 personnel of paramilitary forces have been rescued, over 3,000 civilians have received medical aid, and over 27 tons of ration and essential supplies have been delivered to affected communities, Troops are continuously supporting the civil administration and the BSF in debris clearance and emergency construction tasks, the statement said.
With rains refusing to relent in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, the already swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers originating in the Himalayas and seasonal rivulets inundated towns, villages and agricultural lands, upending normal life. The water level in the Bhakra dam at 6 am was 1,677.84 feet, against its maximum capacity of 1,680 feet. The inflow in the dam was 86,822 cusecs while the outflow was 65,042 cusecs. In view of heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, the water discharge from the dam was being increased from 65,000 cusecs to 75,000 cusecs, officials said and warned that Nangal's villages may be inundated.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a special relief package for the affected states. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to visit the flood-hit areas in Punjab on Thursday. The minister will visit villages in Amritsar, Gurudaspur, and Kapurthala districts, and interact with the affected farmers and will also review the extent of crop damage with state officials and chalk out measures to extend assistance to farmers. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will visit the flood-affected areas along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday.
In JK, National Highway has been shut due to flooding and train services have been hit due to heavy rain leading to shortage of supplies. With more rain predicted in the coming days, there is fear of flash floods, landslides, and cloudbursts. The state administration is working round the clock to strengthen the embankments of the Tawi river. Although the Jhelum river and its tributaries are flowing significantly below the danger mark, water levels in parts of south and central Kashmir, including Srinagar, have risen sharply since the rainfall began on Tuesday, officials said. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department said water gauges are rising and may increase further due to continued rainfall.
In Himachal, fresh devastation due to rain was witnessed as rescue personnel recovered four more bodies from the debris of a landslide in Mandi district while two persons, including an NDRF jawan, were feared dead as two houses collapsed in Kullu district.In view of the inclement weather, all government and private colleges and schools will remain closed in the state till September 7. Reports continued to pour in of more devastation as five trucks parked on the roadside at Wangtu in Kinnaur district were damaged due to falling rocks from the hill, while residents of 15 houses were evacuated in Kunduni village in Jogindernagar in Mandi after a landslip posed a threat.
Residents had a narrow escape when debris from a mountain fell on a house in Chauhra village in Kandaghat in Solan district on Tuesday night, officials said. The back wall of a primary school in the Jamli area in Bilaspur district has collapsed and water entered the building, following heavy rainfall in the past four days, officials said. Trains plying on the Shimla-Kalka track have been cancelled till Friday (September 5) following landslips on the track.
Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal on June 20, the state has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 122 major landslide incidents. At least 341 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents, while 41 are missing since the monsoon began. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 3,525 crore this monsoon so far, according to official data. National Highways Authority said it is working on a war footing to restore road connectivity on the Kiratpur–Manali section of NH-3 after the massive landslide on August 26. The NHAI has deployed heavy machinery on-site, with additional equipment planned to be airlifted to Kullu as soon as weather clears.
Haryana's Ambala has led to severe waterlogging across residential and commercial zones.vTraffic on the service lane was affected as rainwater accumulated on the Ambala-Amritsar Highway, officials said. All government and private schools have been closed by the administration as floodwater entered many schools. A rise in water levels in the Tangri, Ghaggar, and Markanda rivers has prompted further concern. Although current flow remains below the danger mark, officials are closely tracking the situation.
