Rain pours more misery, Phillaur areas inundated

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 19

From a declaration of 40,000 cusecs of water to be released on Friday night to 2,70,000 cusecs of water already released in the city, the state of the over 49 submerged villages in future is linked to rainfall in Himachal Pradesh.

Water continued to flow into Mao Sahib village in Phillaur this afternoon till late evening after relief operations were over. The speed of the water flow belies claims that water was going down in the village.  With water overflowing from fields even onto concrete roads and highways, stretches of the Jalandhar-Shahkot and Jalandhar-Phillaur roads have been rendered non-motorable.

Villagers also chip in

While as many as 150 residents have been evacuated in Jalandhar by teams of the NDRF, SDRF and police personnel on duty, the DC and the SSP have been touring villages during night as well as in the wee hours overseeing relief operations and evacuating villagers. In the district, eight boats were pressed into service for the task. However, do-gooders and residents across Phillaur and Shahkot, among other areas, were seen wading into the waters to save fellow villagers.

At Mianwal, teams of volunteers started rescuing villagers, on tractors, boats and even on foot in night before the district administration began the rescue operations. And after the teams left the place, many vigilant residents stayed to look out for any stranded persons. As per claims, 20 to 30 villagers were saved by residents in various remote stretches.

Rashpal Kaur from Mianwal said: “We have taken refuge on our roof. But if the situation persists, it will let out heat and will stagnate and soon it will be a home for diseases. Even walking out will be an ordeal. The primary worry is now that water levels may recede as soon as possible.”

Sources said the water which had reached Jalandhar villages, causing breaches in various Dhussi bundhs, might reach the figure of 3 lakh cusecs if the inundation (caused by rains in HP) continues till tomorrow.

While residents at Janian Chahal/Janian among others were strengthening the Dhussi bundh on the Sutlej till afternoon, hoping to fend off the water, the incessant rain eventually caused the bundh to give in at two places – one of them near the house of Manjit Kaur at Janian Chahal, who had been hurriedly shifting their belonging to the upper stories of the house last evening. Across villages where there were no NDRF teams, people took refuge in the roofs or first floor of their houses. The relief works across villages have also been hit with residents refusing to leave their houses even as waters continued to rise.

Unless the waters recede in the coming days, the inundated villages, fields and village roads might be a breeding ground for diseases. The DC said teams of the Health Department with the help from the Civil Surgeon had been pressed into service. As many as 31 Camps had been set by the district administration.