No loss of life was reported from flood-hit Punjab in the past 24 hours as rainfall subsided in both the state and upstream hilly regions.
While 21,929 people have been evacuated from the affected areas, 196 relief camps have been set up, providing shelter to over 7,000 displaced people. The number of people staying in relief camps is the highest in Fazilka district (2,548), followed by Hoshiarpur (1,041), Ferozepur (776) and Pathankot (693).
Central government teams are assessing the situation in flood-affected districts even as crops across 1.72 lakh hectares of farmland across 18 districts have been damaged. An estimated 3.84 lakh people in 1,948 villages of 22 districts have been affected in the flood-ravaged state.
In Fazilka, 13,500 people have been rescued. Four NDRF teams, two Army units and a BSF unit are carrying out relief and rescue operations. Crops across 17,785 hectares have been damaged in Fazilka alone with estimated losses to the tune of ₹2.5 crore. The extent of the damage will be known only when the water levels recede.
Ludhiana village on the edge
Residents of Sasrali village of Ludhiana district are on the edge with the weakening earthen embankment threatening to compound their woes. Urging the authorities not to release more water from Ropar, they said the water discharge from the Bhakra Dam should be stopped for at least another three days.
“There was a breach at some points, but water was stopped with the help of a ring bundh that we built along with villagers, the Army and NGOs. Things will now depend on how much water is released from Bhakra,” Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said.
Sasrali sarpanch Surinder Singh Namdhari said no water should be released from Bhakra till the work on strengthening the bundh is completed.
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