Army, BSF, NDRF, and SDRF join hands to rescue over 2,400 people in flood-hit north-west India

The Indian Army has activated 28 columns, including medical teams and communication resources, to reinforce ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in flood-affected areas of north-west India. Initially, 13 columns were deployed, and these columns are providing immediate ground support, evacuation assistance, restoration of connectivity, and medical aid to displaced families across various sectors.

The sectors include Jammu, Mamun, Pathankot (Samba, Kachle, Sujanpur), Gurdaspur (Makaura Pattan, Adalatgarh), Amritsar, and Ferozepur. All actions are being undertaken in close coordination with the local state administration.

Army Aviation assets are playing a crucial role in rescue missions, with 12 helicopters, including three Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and nine Cheetah helicopters, executing challenging winching and hovering operations to rescue civilians stranded on rooftops and in inundated villages. Additionally, boats and safety ropes are being used to ferry stranded people to safer areas.

A total of 1,211 civilians have been evacuated to safety so far, including 11 Punjab Government officials stranded at Madhopur Barrage and 180 paramilitary personnel. Nearly 2,300 kg of essential supplies, including food, water, and medicines, have been dropped or distributed in cut-off areas by Army helicopters and ground teams. Medical teams are providing on-the-spot aid to the injured and vulnerable.

The Panther Division has been operating tirelessly in the flood-hit Ramdas-Ajnala belt of Punjab, carrying out non-stop rescue and relief operations in over 40 submerged villages. The Rising Star Corps is also conducting relentless rescue operations in flood-hit Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur, deploying 20 columns and rescuing over 943 people.

The Border Security Force (BSF) is actively involved in flood relief operations, deploying helicopters and boats to rescue stranded villagers. A BSF rescue team successfully evacuated six Army personnel and their equipment from a flooded Army camp.

The Army is using ATOR-1200 amphibious all-terrain vehicles, boats, and larger vehicles to shift stranded residents from submerged villages to safer places. After the link to about 10 villages across the Kawanwali bridge over the Sutlej river in Fazilka snapped due to floods, the Army was deployed for rescue and evacuation.

In Ferozepur, the Army’s Golden Arrow Division carried out relief operations in several affected villages in coordination with state authorities. The Army, BSF, NDRF, and SDRF have rescued approximately 2,400 people so far.