The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Troops called out in flood-hit Patiala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

Other States

Other States - Punjab

Troops called out in flood-hit Patiala

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, AUG 3. Though no loss of human life has been reported, two Army columns were deployed to evacuate people from at least a dozen flood- affected places in the Rajpura and Dera Bassi sub-divisions of Patiala district today. Incessant rain over the last 48 hours has caused floods in most parts of the area, which are within a radius of 40 km from here.

The heavy downpour, mostly in the southern and central parts of the State, threw life completely out of gear. The National Highway No. 1 was closed to traffic for more than three hours near Rajpura. The authorities have sounded high alert at four different places. The traffic on the Banur-Rajpura section of the State highway connecting Patiala with Chandigarh was closed in the afternoon as water was flowing at least three feet above the road.

The rains were so heavy that water entered the official residence of the Chief Minister and some of his colleagues in Sector 2, here.

The storm sewerage system clogged and officials said that water entered the drawing room, kitchen and conference rooms on the ground floor. Capt. Amarinder Singh was forced to cancel his plans to reach Chandigarh this evening.

According to a spokesman of the Patiala district administration, a major breach occurred in the Nirwana branch of the Bhakhra feeder, near Mehdooda village located on Punjab border with Haryana.

In view of the recent drought- like conditions, the Haryana Government had refused to allow permission to undertake repairs of the canal. Similarly, the seasonal rivulet, Tangri, which was in spate, breached an embankment near Hassanpur village flooding over a dozen other villages near Lalru, on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway.

Another seasonal river, Ghaggar, overflowed at three places, which included Karali, Jhajjon and Rampur villages. Army was assisting in evacuation of villagers at Jhajjon. Surprisingly, the incomplete controversial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal also brought in major volumes of water and breached at Alampur village near Rajpura town.

The water from the SYL after breaching an embankment inundated another rivulet, Panchdhara, which in turn flooded areas around Shambhu located on the National Highway No.1.

The army was pressed into service to evacuate labour from a factory, which was affected.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Troops called out in flood-hit Patiala

Call to check child abuse