Punjab: NDRF teams start rescue operations in flood-hit areas of Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur, Aug 16 (PTI) Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Wednesday began rescue operations to evacuate people in several areas here which were inundated following the release of excess water from the Pong dam, officials said on Wednesday.

The Pong dam, on the Beas river, is brimming after heavy rain in its catchment areas. The water level in the Beas river rose following the release of water from the Pong dam on Tuesday, said Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal.

He added that a breach in the embankment along the Beas river has flooded many villages, including Chechia Chorian, Pakhowal, Kherha, Dalelpur, Padana, Chhina Bet, Nadala, Jagatpur Kalan, Kohlian and Khariaan.

The district administration has asked people living in the low-lying areas and near the banks of the Beas river to move to safer places.

Many villagers, carrying essentials on their shoulders, could be seen wading through the flood-hit areas to move to safer places.

Some villagers even engaged their own tractor-trolleys to take those stranded in the flooded areas to other places.

The deputy commissioner said that several teams of the district administration were already engaged in the rescue and relief operations. He added that the NDRF teams, which reached on Tuesday night, began the rescue operations on Wednesday morning.

Aggarwal said that the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) teams were also engaged in the rescue operations. He appealed to people to cooperate with the rescue teams and said that the district administration was fully prepared to deal with any situation.

The deputy commissioner said that vehicular traffic on Mukerian bridge has been closed after the Mukerian-Gurdaspur road submerged. The traffic has been diverted to the Dinanagar highway. He said that people were being evacuated to safer places, adding the situation was being closely monitored.

A relief camp has been set up in the Purana Shala school and all teams of medical, veterinary and other departments are engaged in the relief operations.

Aggarwal asked people not to panic and said they can use the helpline number to seek any assistance.