Flood-like situation in parts of Punjab

A flood-like situation due to torrential rains prevailed in some places in Punjab Saturday with the seasonal Ghaggar river inundating standing crops, including cotton and paddy, as Army and NDRF teams worked to save lives and properties.

The Ghaggar river overflowed in Patiala, Moga, Mansa, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Bathinda following heavy torrential rainfall, officials said.

Residents along the river have been alerted, they said.

Many villagers started moving to safer places with their belongings and livestock.

Army, National Disaster Response Force and state teams continued to plug the breaches in embankments of Ghaggar river at Moonak in Sangrur district, officials said.

They hope the waters will start receding in the next 24 hours.

Several acres of land in these districts were submerged and officials were assessing the damage to the crops.

Punjab Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria visited areas facing threat from swollen Sutlej and Beas rivers to assess the situation, officials said.

The minister said around 200 people have been shifted to safer places in Udekaran village in Muktsar. The deluge has affected crops on nearly 25,000 acres in the district, he said.

In neighbouring Haryana, Ghaggar has played havoc near Mallewala village in Sirsa after a 200-feet breach in the river, officials said.

The affected farmers demanded special assessment of their agriculture land.