Two killed, several rescued in Ropar by NDRF, Army called in

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Services

Ropar, July 9

A resident of nearby Khad Bathlor village has been buried alive when a hillock in the backyard of his house caved in.

Another body was found in a khud near Bhanuha village after the incessant rain lashed the region today. Several others were rescued using boats by the district administration and the National Disaster Response Force.

Army’s help sought in Pathankot also

• The government today requisitioned the support of the Army to help control the flood-like situation in Rajpura and Ropar following widespread rain in the region
• According to sources in the Headquarters, Western Command, the state government had sought the Army’s assistant to deal with breaches in these two places
• Following this, Army teams conducted a recce of the area and, thereafter, operational columns were moved for carrying out the required tasks
• Sources said the Army’s help was also sought by the local administration in Pathankot
• The Army is also expected to be deployed in some other areas to assist the civil administration, for which the formations were on alert, the sources added

Satwinder Singh (43) of Khad Bathlor was sitting in the backyard of his house with his wife and son when the hillock caved in. Satwinder was buried alive while his wife and son managed to escape.

Hundreds of villages along with Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Morinda and Chamkaur Sahib were inundated as the tributaries of the Sutlej, including the Swan, the Sarsa, the Siswan and the Budhki, were flowing in spate while 1.80 lakh cusecs of water was recorded in the river at Ropar headworks.

The Swan with 74,000 cusecs of water was overflowing over the rebutment placed by the drainage department, inundating Burj and Lodhipur villages following which NDRF teams were called to rescue the residents.

The train services in the district have also been hit and the district administration declared holiday in schools tomorrow. Ropar DC Dr Deepti Yadav has appealed to the masses to not venture out without any urgent need.

As there was no respite from the incessant rain since morning, the water entered a large number of localities in Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Morinda and Chamkaur Sahib along with hundreds of villages. A portion of national highways in front of the Anandpur Sahib bus stand and near Solakhian toll plaza on the Ropar-Chandigarh road was also submerged, leading to a long traffic jam.

The district administration pressed several boats in service to rescue the people.

Ropar MLA Dinesh Chadha, who was seen helping people in reaching safer places in Basant Nagar of Ropar town and Batarla village, said 16 people with their cattle were rescued by the police and other officials.