Punjab Flood Crisis Deepens as Rivers Swell and Crops are Submerged

Punjab is struggling to contain a severe flood crisis as heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers has caused the water levels to rise, submerging large swathes of farmland and villages in the state. The state government has set up a central flood control centre in Jalandhar to monitor and coordinate relief efforts, while also roping in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to aid the district administrations and police in rescue operations.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 30 villages in Ferozepur have been flooded, with breaches in the riverbank submerging houses, roads, and vast stretches of farmland.
• The water level in the Harike Headworks has been continuously rising, with an inflow of 2,03,842 cusecs on Monday evening, out of which 1,85,000 cusecs of water was being released downstream.
• The Ravi river, Ujh river, Jalaliya, Chakki, and various canals and drains in Pathankot district have been running beyond capacity, causing panic among locals.
• A family of four, including a 68-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, a 28-year-old woman, and a 2-year-old child, were trapped in the rising waters of the Ravi river near Rajpura village and were rescued by the Pathankot administration and NDRF.
• The state government has announced compensation for the losses suffered by the affected villagers, with Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak visiting the flood-hit villages near the India-Pakistan border in Pathankot district.
• The Beas river in Kapurthala has reached aFlow of 1.61 lakh cusecs, putting further strain on the downstream areas, and the water level in the affected areas increased abruptly at night, forcing people to move to safer places.
• The Pong Dam is brimming at a record high of 1384.46 feet, just six feet below its maximum capacity of 1,390 feet, with 38,186 cusecs of water being discharged through spillway gates and turbines.
• The flood-prone areas in the Mand region remain largely affected, with farmers facing catastrophic losses, as their paddy crops remain submerged for over two weeks.

Statistics:

• Over 30 villages in Ferozepur have been flooded.
• The water level in the Harike Headworks has been continuously rising, with an inflow of 2,03,842 cusecs on Monday evening.
• The Ravi river, Ujh river, Jalaliya, Chakki, and various canals and drains in Pathankot district have been running beyond capacity.
• 1.61 lakh cusecs of water is flowing through the Beas river in Kapurthala.
• 38,186 cusecs of water is being discharged through spillway gates and turbines from the Pong Dam.
• The Pong Dam is brimming at a record high of 1384.46 feet.

Sources:

• HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times.