16 teams of NDRF, SDRF deployed in Punjab

Chandigarh, July 11

With some respite from rain on Tuesday, relief work has picked up pace in flood-affected areas of the state.

A government spokesperson said efforts were being made to protect the lives and property of people as well as the livestock.

He said medicines worth Rs 50,000 per district had been purchased and distributed at tehsil headquarters to senior veterinary officers. The SVOs have issued the medicines to the teams in 11 affected districts.

Rs 12.5-l grant for district hospitals

• Medicines for livestock worth Rs 50,000 per district distributed
• Food Supply Dept distributes dry ration packets

Apart from this, rapid response teams of veterinarians and staff have been deployed.

The spokesperson said the Health Department had also released a grant of Rs 12.5 lakh to district hospitals to cater to their emergency needs. Rapid response teams have been constituted in all districts and nodal officers have been appointed to supervise the ongoing flood relief operations.

The spokesperson said larvicides would be sprayed for the prevention of outbreaks of vector-borne and water-borne diseases once water starts receding.

Earlier, the Revenue Department released Rs 33.50 crore to all deputy commissioners to deal with the situation.

The spokesperson said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had already announced that the Punjab Government would help the affected people in this difficult time.

To make the relief operations more effective, 14 NDRF and two SDRF teams were working in the flood-hit areas, he said. Three NDRF teams have been deployed in Mohali, five in Ropar, two in Patiala, one each in Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and SBS Nagar. Apart from this, three teams have been put on alert. More than 9,000 people evacuated safely till last night.