Punjab floods: New breach in Ghaggar at Mansa's Sardulgarh; locals fear water may enter town; 1,422 villages in 18 districts flooded

Tribune News Service

Mansa, July 18

A new breach was reported in the Ghaggar at Sardulgarh in Mansa district, following which  water can enter Sardulgarh town, creating panic among locals.

There are five breaches in the Ghaggar in Mansa district and it is flowing above danger mark at Chandpura Bundh.

Punjab has reported 35 deaths in the recent spell of heavy rain that left many districts flooded.

A total of 26,250 people have been evacuated from the waterlogged areas and taken to safer places. This includes 14,296 in Patiala, 2,200 in Rupnagar, 250 in Moga and 300 in Ludhiana.

As per government data, 1,422 villages in 18 districts--Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa and Pathankot--are affected by floods.

Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, authorities were still engaged in relief and rehabilitation works in Sangrur district in Punjab and also plugging breaches in 'dhussi bundhs' (earthen embankments) that have come up along the Ghaggar river.

The work on plugging the 150-ft-wide breach that came up along the Ghaggar in Mansa started on Monday.

The breach was formed on Saturday in an embankment near Chandpura Bundh in Budhlada sub-division of Mansa. With this breach, the river water has entered Gorakhnath and Birewala Dogran villages.

The level of water in these villages is up to 6 feet with the authorities asking the villagers to move to safer places. There are apprehensions the water may enter other villages as well. With PTI inputs

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