In view of the widespread damage triggered by recent rains in Haryana, Public Works Minister Ranbir Gangwa held an emergency meeting on Thursday. He directed officials to urgently repair damaged roads, fill potholes, and ensure the safety of bridges.
He told officials that if immediate repair was not possible, such roads must be marked with warning signs. The state government has already cancelled the leaves of field staff until further orders. All engineers and workers have been asked to stay on-site for continuous monitoring of the flood situation.
Gangwa said “Traffic must not be disrupted, quality of repair work must not be compromised, and public complaints, especially via the Harpath app, should be addressed promptly”.
In the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra announced a Civil Defence mobilisation plan to improve emergency preparedness across the state. She said “The strategy includes awareness campaigns, voluntary enrollment of state employees, and special leave for those participating in training. The aim is to harness the expertise of government personnel to improve disaster response capacity.”
Health Minister Arti Singh Rao thanked Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for promptly launching the e-Kshatipurti portal to report crop losses and provide compensation. Heavy rains have caused serious damage to cotton and millet crops across the state.
Haryana is bracing for severe flood-like situation due to persistant monsoon rains. Dozens of villages across 12 districts, including Ambala, Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Rohtak, and Bhiwani, remain submerged. Rivers such as the Yamuna, Ghaggar, Tangri, and Markanda are flowing near or above danger levels.
The floodgates of the Hathnikund Barrage have been open since September 1. On Thursday, the water flow crossed 1.32 lakh cusecs against the danger level of 1 lakh cusecs. This has raised the Yamuna’s water level towards Delhi, putting flood-prone areas in Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, and Sonipat at risk. In Faridabad, after water was released from the Okhla Barrage in Delhi, the Yamuna crossed its danger mark.
In Jalbehra, Kurukshetra, the Markanda river has also crossed its danger mark. The normal danger mark is 5 feet, but the water has risen to 6.7 feet due to a flow of 14,000 cusecs. Earlier, a breach near Nancy village flooded nearby fields. The water has now reached Thaska Miranji village and touched the Hisar–Chandigarh National Highway-152.
In Ambala, the Tangri and Markanda rivers and their tributary Begna are in spate. Floodwater has entered the Ambala–Roorkee National Highway-344, forcing closing of one side of the road. With traffic restricted to a single lane, heavy congestion is being reported. This highway is a key connector for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, leading to traffic jams across five states.
On Thursday, rain was reported in Sonipat, Panipat, Charkhi Dadri, and Jhajjar. Haryana’s Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel distributed cheques worth ₹1.45 crore to six gaushalas in Rohtak district. He said the government had made arrangements to ensure there was no shortage of fodder for cattle even during the monsoon.
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