Rains lash Punjab and Haryana, toll 33

Rains lashed many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday causing fresh breaches in river Ghaggar even as the two neighbouring states battled flood fury, which has claimed 33 lives so far and damaged standing crops.

Chandigarh received a downpour early Sunday morning recording a rainfall of 19.4 mm and was followed by Mohali Ludhiana and Patiala, which recorded rainfalls of 18 mm, 5.6 mm and 3 mm respectively, the Met office said.

Kalka (23 mm) and Panchkula (20 mm) in Haryana also witnessed heavy rains whereas Ambala (5.2 mm), Hisar (1.6 mm), Karnal (12.4 mm) and Bhiwani (2.4 mm)

in the state also received showers, it said.

The current spell of floods has claimed 22 lives in Punjab and 11 in Haryana so far.

Meanwhile, water in river Ghaggar is flowing four feet above the danger mark at Sub-Division Guhla in Kaithal district in Haryana, Deputy Commissioner Amneet P Kumar said.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal approved contingency plans for flood-hit farmers as two more breaches in Ghaggar near Makroad and Chandu and one breach in Narwana Canal marooned 2.5 lakh acres of farmland affecting three lakh people of 763 villages of the state.