Monsoon Fury: Breaches in Ghaggar inundate parts of Punjab, Haryana; flashflood alert in Himachal

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Mansa, July 16

Around 5,000 acres in Mansa district are submerged in floodwaters following two breaches that occurred yesterday in the Ghaggar at Rorke village in Sardulgarh and Chandpura bundh in Budhladha.

Even after 24 hours, the breach at Chandpura bundh has not been plugged and its size has increased from 100 feet on Saturday to more than 250 feet on Sunday owing to heavy flow of floodwater. Even the level of the Ghaggar has increased and fear of its overflow looms. The Army has been called in and its teams have already initiated the repair work.

Mansa Deputy Commissioner Dr Rishipal Singh says over 5,000 acres have been submerged in floodwaters and the Army has been called in to repair the breaches. The water level in the river has increased, but there is no need to panic as the administration is on the job, he says. On Sunday, floodwaters entered fields at Gorakhnath, Chak Ali Sher and Birewala Dogra villages. Villagers said the water threatened to inundate Riund Kalan, Riund Khurd, Gantu Kalan, Gantu Khurd, Gamiwala, Talwala, Bahmanwala villages in the district. In view of possibility of floods, villagers are moving to safer places, carrying belongings and livestock on tractor-trailers. Most of the poor, however, have no means to go anywhere.

Skin ailments on rise in Jalandhar

3,910 with ailments in flood-hit Jalandhar areas

25 medical, 16 rapid response teams formed

(*Most suffer from skin, gastro ailments)

Yamuna waters recede in Delhi

205.98 m Yamuna level on Sunday

208.66 m Peak level on July 13

Rs 10K aid for each flood-hit family in Delhi

The Army has been deployed in the area between Kulariyan village and Chandpura dam and is busy preparing boats to deal with possible flooding. Farmers say crops on hundreds of acres have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh today met members of the local chapter of the Indian Medical Association and government officials, and directed them to ensure there was no shortage of medicines and medical staff in the flood-affected areas.