Govt keeping close watch on flood situation, rescue ops underway: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said his government was keeping a close watch on the flood situation, and added that rescue and relief operations are underway in the flood-hit areas.

Many areas in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Gurdaspur districts were inundated following the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong dams, officials said. The water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers rose following the release of water from the reservoirs.

The Bhakra Dam on Sutlej river and the Pong Dam on Beas river -- both in Himachal Pradesh -- are brimming after heavy rain in their respective catchment areas.

Punjab has seen flooding of many areas for the second time in just over a month. Several parts of Punjab were affected by the rains that happened between July 9 and July 11, flooding vast expanses of agricultural fields and other areas, besides paralysing normal life.

Mann said the flood situation in the state was fully in control and that the government was monitoring the entire situation. He also asked his ministers to visit the flood-hit areas.

In a statement, the CM said there is no need to panic as the state government is in constant touch with the Himachal Pradesh government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) due to the release of excess water.

Mann said the situation at Pong Dam and Ranjit Sagar Dam was also fully under control and added that safety and security of life and property of the people was the bounden duty of the government.

Relief efforts in the worst affected areas are being paid special attention, he said, adding that he was personally monitoring the situation.

In an advisory on Monday, the Punjab government had asked residents of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts not to venture near the Beas after it was decided that water from the Pong Dam would be released.

After water was released from the dams, it entered low-lying areas and villages and some houses located on the banks of Beas and Sutlej rivers. Crops have also been submerged at several places because of flood waters, some villagers said. Many villagers have been evacuated to safety, officials said.

Cabinet ministers Harbhajan Singh and Bram Shanker Jimpa took stock of the situation of flood-hit areas of Tanda and Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district.

Speaking to reporters, Singh said rescue operations were underway and that boats have been deployed to evacuate people to safety. He also said that the public works department and mining department were engaged in plugging the breaches of embankments along the Beas river.

Punjab Education Minister and Anandpur Sahib MLA Harjot Singh Bains visited flood-hit areas in Rupnagar district and asked people not to panic. He said people trapped in Harsa Bela and Patti Dulchi villages in Anandpur Sahib have been rescued.

He also appealed to people living near the banks of Sutlej river to move to safer places.