Flood situation grim in Punjab’s Mansa district

CHANDIGARH - There was no respite from floods in Punjab’s Mansa district Friday with water entering five more villages in the Sardulgarh area. However, the situation improved in other affected districts of the state.

Rescue work was on and army and paramilitary forces officials were assisting the district administration in the relief operation.

“Over 8,000 acres of agriculture land has been inundated and several villages are submerged in water in the Sardulgarh area,” Kumar Rahul, deputy commissioner of Mansa, told IANS.

“Flood water entered five more villages, namely Mirpur Kalan, Mirpur Khurd, Bhagwanpur Hingnan, Alipur and Bern, since Thursday,” he added.

“Although the water level has receded at some places, the situation is still grim. We are working day and night to help the flood victims,” he added.

However, the flood situation considerably improved in other affected districts of Punjab and at many places farmers have started re-sowing the crops.

About the loss due to floods, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “Crops on over 3.25 lakh acres have been damaged in different districts of Punjab in the floods. This is a loss of around Rs.480 crore to the crops.”

“Floods have also damaged vast network of roads that will require Rs.1,000 crore for repair,” he added.

In the neighbouring state Haryana, rescue work was on in flood-affected areas of Sirsa district. So far, 14,000 people from nine villages in Sirsa have been shifted to safe locations.

According to official figures, 37 people have lost their lives in floods in Punjab and Haryana so far.