Flood situation in Punjab, Haryana grim

Flood situation in Punjab and Haryana remained grim on Friday with Yamuna and other major rivers in the region flowing above the danger level and inundating over 80 villages in Yamunanagar and other districts.

Army and civil administration personnel along with teams of National Disaster Management and NGOs are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the region.

Over 62 villages in Yamunanagar district are submerged under knee-deep waters whereas situation in several villages close to the bank of Yamuna river in Panipat, Karnal and Sonepat was brink with houses marooned under water, officials said.

Release of water from Hanthni kund barrage and Tajewala headworks in Yamunanagar district was around 85,000 cusecs, officials said.

Most of the rivers passing through Haryana and Punjab are flowing to the capacity with villagers close to the banks of these had already been evacuated.

Poanta Sahib-Yamunanagar national highway 73 had been partially opened for light traffic, while Ambala-Saharanpur

national highway has been opened with water level receding, officials said.

Situation in parts of Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Anandpur Sahib and Ropar is also bad with floodwater entering several villages, making people shelter less.

Meanwhile, torrential rains continued in most parts of Punjab and Haryana, further inundating several areas.

While Amritsar received 16.6 mm of rains, Narnaul had 10 mm of rainfall.

Among other places, Rohtak received 9.4 mm of rains followed by seven mm in Hisar, five mm in Karnal, 2.5 mm in Ludhiana, one mm in Bhiwani and 0.8 mm in Chandigarh.

The MeT forecast more rains at a few places in the region during the few days.

The rail, road and air traffic in the region remained normal even as incessant rains threw electricity supply out of gear at several places.