The Hindu : National : Affected people evacuated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 27, 2005

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National

Affected people evacuated

Special Correspondent

Advance information received from ITBP

NEW DELHI: About 4,000 to 4,500 people in half a dozen villages along the swollen Sutlej river in Rampur in Himachal Pradesh were evacuated on Sunday after a sudden and alarming rise in the level of the river.

Briefing reporters here, Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said the State Government was alerted after advance information about the rising water level in the river was received from forward posts of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

He said the rising water had washed away four to five bridges, damaged roads, submerged one or two villages and entered the Army mess, but there were no reports of any loss of human life.

While describing the situation as being "under close watch," Mr. Duggal said two companies of the ITBP, trained in disaster management and relief work, had been deployed in Rampur. As a precautionary measure, two helicopters of the Indian Air Force had been put on alert in Chandigarh.

The Home Secretary said Nathpa-Jhakri power plant was shut down on Saturday. The gates of the dam had been opened to flush out the water. He said the water level rose 40 to 50 metres at Sugarpoint and by about 20 metres at Sumdoh in Kinnaur district.

The Parechu, a tributary of the Spiti river, merges with the Satluj at Khaab, close to the India-China border. Last year, the problem became acute when the formation of an artificial lake was noticed on the Chinese side. However, the threat was contained as the lake did not overflow.

Mr. Duggal said the Chinese authorities had been informed of the flood situation. The sudden rise in the waters could be attributed to rains in the upper reaches and the melting of snow. Satellite pictures of the area would be made available on Monday and the situation would be reviewed.

"The State Government is fully alert and it had taken preparatory steps but damage to bridges, houses and roads cannot be averted. However, urgent steps are being taken to carry out repair work to the damaged infrastructure," he said, adding that an Inter-Ministerial group of officials would visit Himachal Pradesh. to assist the State government in relief work.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi presided over an emergency meeting of the crisis management group to review the flood situation in Himachal Pradesh.

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