Red alert in Kapurthala as Beas water level reaches 2.35 lakh cusecs

A fresh spell of continuous rain since Saturday night has caused a dramatic rise in the water level of the Beas, prompting the Kapurthala district administration to issue a red alert. The water level reached 2.35 lakh cusecs in the flood-hit areas of Kapurthala on Sunday, up from 2.17 lakh cusecs on Saturday, amid incessant rainfall in the upper regions of the hills.

The situation turned critical in the region as many weakened houses collapsed due to the downpour and the strong currents of the Beas river. Two houses collapsed at Rampur Gaura village early Sunday morning due to the fresh spell of heavy rain.

Meanwhile, Kapurthala administration face an uphill task of evacuating residents who refuse to leave their houses despite the red alert. Many want to stay put within the deluge, to ensure the safety of their belongings. Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams made continuous appeals through portable loudspeakers and boats to reach out to families in far-flung homes.

So far, 35,480 acres of land in Kapurthala have been inundated.

The figure of affected crop land could rise in the wake of the rains, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal has appealed to people residing in low-lying areas to immediately relocate to safer places.

He also emphasised on the residents’ safety in view of the red alert issued by the Meteorological Department for heavy rainfall in the Kapurthala district.

The Army, SDRF and villagers are working to evacuate stranded people and provide relief.

The district administration has also urged residents needing help to contact the 24/7 control rooms: 62800-49331, 01822-231990, and the Sultanpur Lodhi Sub-Division Flood Control Room: 01828-222169.