Chandigarh: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army teams have been deployed in many parts of Punjab and a score of people, rescued following the release of water from the Bhakra and Pond dams downstream Punjab after these two dams brimmed due to heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh since the past two days.
Rescue operations in full swing
Even as over 2,500 people were rescued in Hoshiarpur and Ropar areas on Wednesday, the Punjab government had already sounded alert in districts downstream of the two dams – Ropar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran.
According to reports, more than 2,500 people were rescued from Tanda and Mukerian tehsils of Hoshiarpur by the NDRF as well as State disaster response force (SDRF) teams after a large number of villagers there were stuck in inundated villages. The village volunteers had also joined hands with the NDRF and SDRF teams in the rescue teams.
Likewise, over 80 persons were rescued from different villages of Ropar district by the NDRF on Wednesday. The water release from the dams had inundated many villages in Anadpur Sahib and Nangal areas where Army and Indian Air Force were also on stand-by.
Water released due to torrential rains
For the record, the water is being released – though in a controlled manner – from the Pong dam on the Beas river and Bhakra-Nangal dam on Sutlej – due to torrential rains in the catchment areas of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh (HP) and the subsequent huge water inflow.
According to media reports, Bhakra dam had received an inflow of over 45,000 cusecs and over 68,000 cusecs water was being released on Wednesday so as to check the rising water level of its reservoir which had touched about 1,600 feet – just three feet short of its maximum capacity.
Likewise, the water level of Pong dam had touched over 1,300 feet, nine feet more than its capacity as its reservoir continued to get inflow of over 65,000 cusecs. The floodgates of both the dams were opened two days ago due to continued heavy inflow.
Meanwhile, according to reports, even though the inflow into the two dams had started to reduce, the floodgates of both the dams were likely to remain open for a few more days to release the excess water that had accumulated in their reservoir.
Situation under control, says CM Mann
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the situation of floods in the state was fully in control and the state government was keeping a strict eye over the entire situation.
Mann further said that he was personally monitoring the situation and every effort would be made to ensure that the loss of people is minimised. The minister for revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management Bram Shanker Jimpa who visited the flood affected villages of Tanda and Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district and said the rescue operations in the district were going on, on war footing.
