The Punjab government has directed local administrations and officials of concerned departments to maintain round-the-clock presence at the ground level to carry out rescue and relief operations on a war footing in flood-hit areas. All official leave has been cancelled until further orders.
This was announced by Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak during their visit to flood-affected Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts on Tuesday. The ministers inspected the situation, interacted with residents and reviewed relief measures.
Goyal said incessant rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh over the past two to three days has pushed the Ranjit Sagar Dam near its maximum capacity, forcing the release of nearly 1.10 lakh cusecs of water on Tuesday. This discharge has caused the Ravi river to rise dangerously, inundating several villages including Makhanpur, Pola, Taas and Bahadurpur in Pathankot district. He added that seven family members remain stranded in village Taas, where rescue operations are under way.
The minister said water levels in the dam have reached above 527 metres, while the Ujh and Jalalia rivers are also in spate, submerging large parts of Narot Jaimal Singh and Bamial blocks. Community kitchens have been set up in Taragarh and Narot Jaimal Singh schools, and rescue centres have been opened at Kiri Khurd, Kathlour, Taragarh, Kharkhra Thuthowal, Khojki Chak, Bamial, Nangal, Pathankot, Bani Lodhi and Ferozepur Kalan.
Officials said helicopters are being deployed for evacuation, while BSF, Army, SDRF and NDRF teams are engaged in rescue missions. Around 70 people were shifted to safety from Jagochak Tanda village in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday.
Goyal, who also visited villages along the Ravi river in Dinanagar tehsil, said that about 15 villages have been affected by flooding, with several stretches of the Dhussi Bundh damaged by the surge in water from the Ranjit Sagar Dam and Ujh river. Traveling by tractor to remote locations, he met residents in Jhabkara village and distributed ration supplies.
The ministers said the government’s immediate priorities are protecting lives and property, providing relief material and ensuring safe evacuation. They appealed to citizens not to pay heed to rumours and to stay away from riverbanks.
They further said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is personally monitoring the relief operations and has assured compensation for flood-related damage. A special girdawari will be conducted to assess crop losses, with compensation to follow.