Punjab, Haryana on alert as flood threat looms

CHANDIGARH - Several districts in Punjab and Haryana remained on flood alert Monday and the army was put on standby, as levels of the rivers flowing through these two states rose alarmingly.

Though the two states did not receive much rain Monday, the incessant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh led to heavy inflow in the Bhakra Dam reservoir.

“Satluj river is flowing near the danger mark, posing flood threats in the adjoining low-lying areas. But so far, there is no report of flooding and the situation is totally under control in Punjab,” Punjab’s Chief Engineer (Irrigation) Amarjit Singh Dullat told IANS.

“We have apponted special teams at all vulnerable areas, in the state, to monitor the flood situation. They are submitting their feedback at regular intervals and we are all geared up to tackle any kind of emergency flood situation,” he added.

Weather officials have predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in this region in the next two days - Tuesday and Wednesday.

District administrations in both states also alerted the Indian Army and asked it to remain geared up for rescue operations.

The release of water from the 225-metre high Bhakra Dam into the Satluj river has posed an immediate threat to the low-lying areas of Ropar district and the Sikhs’ religiously important towns of Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab.

“BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) is releasing excess water in the Satluj river and there is an immediate threat of floods in the low-lying areas of Ropar and the villages adjacent to the river. At some places, water is already flowing above the danger mark,” Ropar Deputy Commissioner Arunjit Singh Miglani told IANS.

“We have made all arrangements to tackle any kind of emergency situation. We would take the help of the Indian Army to shift people to safe locations,” he said.

So far, villages Burj, Jindwari, Gajpur, Ballowal, Dasgrain, Chandpur and Laudipur in the Ropar sub-division have been flooded.

A BBMB official, however, said the release of water into Satluj is a normal exercise and it will continue in the coming days till the inflow of water from the catchment area subsides.

“For the last couple of days, the average everyday inflow in Bhakra Dam has been nearly 75,000 cusecs and we are releasing over 40,000 cusecs of water in the Satluj river. We will continue this routine as it is necessary to maintain the water level of Bhakra Dam,” a BBMB spokesperson told IANS, adding that water level in the dam reached 1,672.72 feet Sunday evening.

The Bhakra Dam can safely store water up to the maximum height of 1680 feet.

Meanwhile, the administration of Punjab’s Ludhiana has also alerted the army.

“The situation is under control but water level in Satluj is rising at an alarming pace. We are monitoring the situation and are ready to deal with any emergency,” Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari said.

In Haryana, water level in the Yamuna was flowing above the danger mark and the state government cautioned the administrations of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Sonepat, Panipat, Faridabad and Palwal districts.

Over 50 villages in Yamunanagar district were inundated. Rescue work was on and people were evacuated to safe places.

Yamunanagar Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sanghwan said: “We have established a special control room where any flood victim can call for help. Overall situation is still under control. Our officials along with the district police are keeping round-the-clock vigil.”

According to an official, over 20 villages in Karnal district were affected as the Yamuna water flooded several acres of agriculture land there.

Last month, nearly a dozen villages of Punjab and Haryana were severely affected by floods. Over 50 people were killed.