Punjab on alert as swollen rivers inundate land, disrupt normal life

Punjab is on alert as the swollen rivers continue to bring the water gushing down in the plains of the state, inundating large tracts of land and throwing normal life out of gear.

While rains have continued in many parts of Malwa, areas in Majha and Doaba that fall along the Ravi and Beas rivers are also hit by the overflowing rivers. Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts are the worst hit. Schools have been ordered to close down in Jalandhar and Amritsar districts because of the rains.

The swollen Ravi has become a major source of worry for the people living in Gurdaspur as inflows in the river continue to rise because of the incessant rains in areas along the upstream of the river. According to official data, the water level in Ravi at Makora Pattan in Gurdaspur touched 2.50 lakh cusecs this morning. The civil administration there is now on alert.

It is also learnt that the water at Harike, where there is a confluence of Beas and Satluj rivers, the water level recorded in the morning was 2.34 lakh cusecs. As this water flows down to Ferozepur (Hussainiwala) and Fazilka, the administration and people there are also on alert and ready for emergency evacuations in some areas.

Meanwhile, the government has asked ministers to visit flood-hit areas and oversee relief and evacuation (wherever needed) operations.  Harbhajan Singh, ETO, has been asked to review flood relief works in Tarn Taran with MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura. Barinder Goyal will be visiting flood-affected areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur.