Floods Fury In Punjab: Army, NDRF Rescue 400 Students, Staff

Chandigarh: The flood situation in Punjab continued to worsen on Wednesday due to continuous torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh, catchment areas of Sutlet, Ravi and Beas rivers and heavy discharge of water from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, inundating a score of villages across more than 10 districts of the state. 

Meanwhile, the teams of army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) which had been pressed into service rescued more than 400 students and school staff in Gurdaspur district and a large number of others from parts of the state with the help of boats and choppers.

They initiated a rescue operation to airlift over 50 workers stranded after flood-gate of Madhopur Headwork collapsed. The said headwork is located on the Ravi river in Gurdaspur district, near Pathankot and diverts the river water for irrigation in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and other nearby areas through canals’ network.

Also, the release of water from Ranjit Sagar dam worsened the situation in Pathankot area inundating several villages in neighbouring Gurdaspur districts too. 

In Amritsar district, the Ravi river floods waterlogged several villages, residential areas and farmlands in the Ajnala area after the Dhussi embankment breached due to the swollen waters of Ravi, forcing residents to move to safer places.

400 STUDENTS RESCUED

Teams of the army and the NDRF rescued about 400 students and 40 staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a boarding school, at Daburi village in Gurdaspur district. These teams were also helped by villagers - who brought over six tractor-trolleys to access the school site - and a social organisation, Khalsa Aid. Dubri and several other villages were waterlogged because of the overflowing Ravi river.

Punjab On High Alert: Sutlej, Ravi & Beas Rivers In Spate, Flood Several Areas - VIDEO

25 RESCUED IN ARMY HELICOPTER OP

Elsewhere, the army team rescued 25 persons, including CRPF personnel, with the help of helicopter who were trapped atop a building surrounded by floodwaters near Madhopur Headworks. The building collapsed moments after all the people were airlifted from the spot.

CM LEAVES BEHIND CHOPPER, TRAVELS BY ROAD

Meanwhile, chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced to depute the state helicopter to assist and evacuate people and send relief material of the stranded families in the flood affected areas of the state.

The chief minister, who undertook a tour of the flood affected areas in Gurdaspur district, said that several people are stuck in marooned villages due to which they need immediate help and added that to ensure prompt and timely evacuation of the stranded people, a helicopter of the state government has been pressed into service. He said that from now onwards he will visit the flood affected areas by road.