Villagers rescued by Army, ITBP

Villagers rescued by Army, ITBP
SP Sharma
Tribune News Service

A marooned villager of Sadhuwala in Mansa carrying his daughter and foodstuff to a safer place. Photos: Kulbir Beera Men of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in rubber boats supplying rations to marooned residents of the Sadhuwala village on Tuesday. Photos: Kulbir Beera

Sardulgarh (Mansa), July 13
About 275 residents, mostly women and children, of Sadhuwala and Phusmandi villages were today evacuated by the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) as these areas were inundated due to breaches in the embankments of the Ghaggar.

More than six villages of Punjab and two of Haryana were submerged and men of the 7th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have pressed boats into service to provide relief to the marooned people.

There was panic among residents of several villages who have shifted their belongings and valuables to safer places.

DC Kumar Rahul said four villages, Phusmandi, Sadhuwala, Bhunder and Kanewala, had been cut off due to the flood caused due to breaches. However, the situation was not that alarming as the floodwater had started receding and the Army and the ITBP were providing rations to the marooned people. Sufficient fodder for two days was available with residents of these villages.

He said the standing crops on about 5,000 acres in 10 villages had been destroyed but no loss of life reported from anywhere. Tankers had been rushed to supply drinking water to the affected people and diesel generators had also been dispatched to various places to run the water pumps.

Rahul said the floodwater had receded by 5 ft at Chandpura.

Another breach in the embankment near the Bhunder village flooded the area at mid-night and the district authorities have mobilised men and machines to plug the breach. The Member of Rajya Sabha Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who belongs to the area, was present on the spot throughout the day supervising relief operations by the Army and the ITBP.

More than 190 houses have been damaged by the floods. The damage to houses was assessed around Rs.2 crore.

SK Sood, executive engineer of the drainage department, said the Ghaggar was flowing above the danger mark at Sardulgarh. Similar was the position at Chandpura where the river was threatening about 45 villages.

Sadhuwala village in the vicinity was totally cut off by the floodwaters and dry ration was being supplied to the marooned people.

Floodwater that had entered Sardulgarh yesterday had receded and there was no threat to the town now.

Haryana villages Rodi and Mattar have got inundated due to a 30 ft breach in the embankment.

About 100 activists of the Dera Sacha Sauda were engaged in relief operations in the flood-hit areas of Sardulgarh.