Situation worsens in flood-hit Punjab, Haryana

The situation in flood ravaged districts of Punjab and Haryana further worsened on Friday as fresh breaches in Hansi Butana canal in Kaithal and Ghaggar in Sangrur district left several villages marooned.

A 15 feet breach occurred in Hansi Butana canal, some four km from Kaithal town in Haryana, inundating nearly 40 villages badly, officials said. Two breaches of approximately 50 to 60 feet have been created due to gushing waters in Ghaggar River at Rasoli and Naiwala villages in Sangrur district of Punjab, flooding some 50 villages, they said.

The fresh breaches in Hansi Butana canal and Ghaggar had further compounded problems, with army personnel summoned to plug these at the earliest. Meanwhile, the road traffic on the Ambala-Hisar highway remained disrupted due to a 30 feet breach on road, officials said, adding that army personnel were trying hard to restore traffic on the road.

Meanwhile, a senior railway official told PTI that rail traffic had been restored on the Ambala-Chandigarh railway line.

"Everything is under control, all train services have been restored in the region. Few trains have been cancelled due to the late running of certain other trains," Ambala's Railway Commercial Manager G M Singh said.

Over 200 villages in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sangrur, Patiala and Mohali district are flood-affected. Reports from flood-hit areas of Kurukshetra and Ambala in Haryana and Ludhiana in Punjab said that the water levels had been receding at a snail's pace. However, many places still remained submerged under nearly ten feet of water.

The Army, district administration, social organisations and villagers are working hard to plug the existing breaches in Satluj Yamuna Link in Kurukshetra district, three in Tangri river in Ambala district and two in Ghaggar in Sangrur district.

The Met office had predicted rainfall at isolated places in parts of Punjab and Haryana during the next few hours. Reports from Sonepat said that the Yamuna was flowing in its full fury and people living close to the banks of the river had been advised to shift to safer places. 

Photograph: Soldiers repair the Satluj Yamuna Link canal after it was damaged by heavy rains as villagers watch in Kurukshetra, Haryana | Image: Reuters