Rescue work on in flood-hit Mansa in Punjab

CHANDIGARH - Rescue work was on in Punjab’s Mansa district Wednesday where several acres of agricultural land were inundated and many villages submerged as water overflowed from the Ghaggar river.

“The flood situation is grim in Sardulgarh area. Nearly 25 villages are flooded and most of the residents have been shifted to safe locations. We are working all day and night to control the situation and to prevent further flooding of other low-lying areas,” Mansa Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul told IANS.

Besides civic officials, army and paramilitary troopers were also helping in the relief operations.

“Around 200 houses and standing crops on nearly 5,000 acres have been damaged in the floods. We have made all arrangements to provide packed food and water to the flood victims. So far there has been no loss of life due to floods in Mansa,” he said.

According to official figures, crops on 271,784 acres have been damaged in districts of Patiala, Sangrur, Mohali, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga and Mansa.

In the neighbouring state of Haryana, flood situation was grim in Sirsa district.

“Army officials are working to plug the breaches in Ghaggar river that led to flooding in Sirsa. Over 10,000 acres of agricultural land submerged in three to four feet water and nearly one dozen villages are affected due to this. We hope that situation will be under control by this evening,” said a senior official of the Sirsa administration here.

Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts were badly affected by floods over the last few days.

As many as 33 people have lost their lives in floods in Punjab and Haryana.