Punjab: Three More Casualties Recorded, Death Toll In Recent Downpour Rises To 38

Punjab recorded three more deaths in the recent spell of heavy downpours that left many districts in the state flooded, taking the toll so far to 38, according to official data released on Tuesday.
    
The latest casualties were reported in Fazilka, Sangrur, and Bathinda districts. So far, the number of people injured stands at 15 while two are missing, it showed.
    
A total of 26,280 people have been evacuated from the waterlogged areas and taken to safer places. This includes 14,296 in Patiala, 2,200 in Rupnagar, 250 in Moga, and 300 in Ludhiana.
    
As per the data, 1,432 villages in 19 districts – Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda, and Pathankot – are affected by floods.
    
A total of 155 relief camps were operating in flood-hit areas and 3,828 people were staying in them.
    
The data showed 289 houses were fully damaged in flood-affected areas and 645 partially damaged.
    
Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, authorities were still engaged in plugging breaches in 'Dhussi bundhs' (earthen embankments) that have come up along the Ghaggar River.
    
Water entered many villages along the Ghaggar River in the Budhlada and Sardulgarh sub-divisions of the Mansa district because of breaches in the earthen embankments.
    
The first breach occurred near Chandpura bundh in Budhlada and Rorki village in Sardulgarh on Saturday, officials said.
    
Two more breaches appeared on Monday in Jhande Khurd village and another in Rorki village in Sardulgarh of Mansa.
    
Because of the breach near Chandpura Bundh, the river water entered Gorakhnath, Birewala Dogra, and Chak Alisher villages, and there were apprehensions other villages may get inundated as well.
    
The Mansa district administration has already set up several relief camps for the flood-affected people, the officials said, adding 28 families in Birewala Dogra were evacuated to the camps.
    
They said the overflowing Ghaggar River entered agricultural fields. Embankments were being built at Sadhuwala village, Phusmandi road, and Mansa-Sirsa highway to prevent water from entering the Sardulgarh city areas.
    
Deputy Commissioner Rishi Pal Singh said the district administration is monitoring the situation round-the-clock. The administration has already called in the Army and a team of the National Disaster Response Force in Mansa.
    
Punjab Cabinet Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra visited flood-hit villages of the Samana constituency in Patiala.
    
Jauramajra said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has issued directions to immediately commence a special survey to assess the extent of crop loss and other damage caused by floodwaters.