K’thala DC inspects rescue, relief works

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, August 17

Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Captain Karnail Singh today visited the areas located on the banks of the Beas from Dhilwan to Talwandi Kuka.

While inspecting ongoing rescue works, he said the situation was under control and it would be normal in the next 24 hours as the current water level was maximum.

Accompanied by SSP Rajpal Singh Sandhu, the Deputy Commissioner, along with other officials, started his visit from Dhilwan where civil officials and villagers were getting empty bags filled with soil. The Deputy Commissioner also met the people evacuated from various locations in the Mand area. He said the district administration was making all-out efforts for safe evacuation of people stranded in their houses in the Mand area as six teams of the Army, National Disaster Response Force, Punjab Police and civil officials started operations since early morning.

The DC said nearly 280 people had been rescued from the Mand area so far while around 20-25 persons were reluctant to leave their houses.

He said Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sanjeev Sharma, who is supervising the rescue operations, personally visited them in a boat and made announcements to reach a safer place with teams of the Army and NDRF.

He said nearly 70 persons were staying in relief camps set up in a gurdwara and a school at Talwandi Kuka village while others had left for their own places. Six teams in motorboats were bringing people to the earmarked sites, said the Deputy Commissioner, adding that the officials with the help of the NDRF had also safely transferred Guru Granth Sahib to Gurdwara Sahib at Talwandi Kuka from a gurdwara in the Mand area.

Interacting with Arjan Singh of Mand Talwandi, the DC assured that teams from the Army would bring their livestock to a safer site as the matter had already been discussed with Brigadier AS Dhodi, who is monitoring the entire operation in the Bholath sub-division with his team members Colonel Bhisham Chauhan, Lieutenant Colonel Daljeet, Major Rameshwar, Captain Setu Satya and others.

The DC also pointed out that once the situation becomes normal, damage to houses and loss of crops would be assessed. Joint teams of civil, police, revenue and drainage department officials were ensuring continuous patrolling at the dhussi bandh in all three sub-divisions of the district. To help the affected people, the administration is providing them with food packets, water bottles, dry ration and fodder for their livestock.

Search on for missing person

Deputy Commissioner Captain Karnail Singh and SSP Rajpal Singh Sandhu also met the family members of Lakhwinder Singh (50), who was reportedly swept away by the surging waters on Wednesday. The DC assured the family that rescue teams were working to locate the missing person. SDM Sanjeev Sharma also mentioned that the administration will engage divers so as to trace the missing Lakhwinder Singh.

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