Two Haryana districts flooded

CHANDIGARH - Some villages in Haryana’s Ambala and Yamunanagar districts went under three-four feet water Thursday and scores of residents were evacuated to safe locations as the Tangri river was flowing over the danger mark.

“So far the situation is totally under control. We are observing the situation and are ready to handle any kind of emergency,” Deputy Commissioner S.P. Srow of Ambala, some 35 km from here, told IANS.

Last month, nearly a dozen villages of Punjab and Haryana were badly affected by the floods and over 50 people lost their lives. Ambala and Yamunanagar districts were also hit by floods then.

Meanwhile, the government has advised residents of Sonipat district living close to the Yamuna river and in low-lying areas to remain alert in the wake of a flood threat following release of water from a barrage upstream.

However, the district administration officials said the condition at present was under control and they are monitoring the situation.

“We have appealed to the people residing near the Yamuna river not to panic or feel afraid of water discharged in the river. We have also advised them to remain fully alert of floods in low-lying areas,” Deputy Commissioner Ajit Joshi said Thursday in Sonipat, over 150 km from Chandigarh.

“Due to heavy rains, water in Tejewala headworks and in regional drains had increased significantly, which led to discharging of one lakh cusecs of water in the Yamuna river last (Wednesday) night. We are closely monitoring the water level in the river,” he added.

Joshi said that there was a plan to discharge 1.5 lakh cusecs of additional water in the river by Friday morning and the administration has made elaborate arrangements for possible emergencies.