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Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 24
As incessant rain continues, the Punjab government on Monday issued a red alert in the state, asking all district authorities to remain on constant vigil.
Disaster Control Rooms are being activated. All officials have been asked to remain on standby. The Army has also been requested to be on standby.
The districts have been told to arrange equipment to drain out flood waters. The districts in the catchment areas of three rivers have been asked to arrange enough boats to rescue the affected people.
The state government has cancelled the leave of all irrigation and drainage staff.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered closure of all schools and colleges tomorrow while reviewing the flood-like situation triggered in the state due to incessant rain, an official spokesperson here said in a release.
Chairing an emergency meeting here today, the Chief Minister also announced a special ‘girdawari’ for assessing crop damage due to heavy rains.
Singh asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) to issue detailed guidelines to the deputy commissioners for initiating the process of ‘girdawari’ immediately after the water-level recedes.
The Chief Minister also asked the ministers and MLAs to tour their respective areas extensively to assess the ground situation and tie up with the concerned departments for immediate redressal of hardships being faced by the people.
He also directed the Food and Civil Supplies and Animal Husbandry ministers to appoint nodal officers for distribution of food packets to the affected people and dry fodder for the animals in view of the situation.
The Chief Minister also asked the FCR to seek any assistance from the Army, Border Security Force (BSF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other paramilitary forces, if needed.
Apprising the Chief Minister about the situation, the FCR said that he was personally in touch with all the deputy commissioners to keep a close watch on the situation and had asked them to further liaise with the concerned Army authorities within their respective jurisdiction for help in case of any eventuality.
The FCR informed the Chief Minister that a contingency fund to the tune of Rs 7.40 crore has been placed at the disposal of the deputy commissioners to get flood protection works executed, besides carrying out rescue operations.
Emphasising the need to monitor the situation on a regular basis, the Chief Minister asked the senior officers of various departments and the deputy commissioners to liaison closely with the FCR to tide over the prevailing grim situation.
Expressing concern over the possible outbreak of water borne diseases, Singh asked the Health department to take preventive measures by organising special medical check-up camps and arranging sufficient stock of medicines in this behalf.
ACS Health informed the Chief Minister that the department was fully geared to face any problem and all the civil surgeons were asked to closely monitor the situation in coordination with the concerned deputy commissioners.
Taking part in the deliberations, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) chief D K Sharma apprised the Chief Minister that situation at the Bhakhra reservoir was in control so far and they were regularly monitoring water levels at the Pong Dam.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Water Resources pointed out that the water-level at the Pong dam was at present 1,385.12 feet against the maximum level of 1,390 feet, the level at Bhakhra was at 1,655.49 feet against maximum capacity of 1,680 feet and at the Ranjit Sagar Dam, which feeds the Ravi river, was 526.65 m against the maximum level of 527.91 m.
The BBMB has issued an advisory to Punjab for releasing "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river.
The danger areas are Mukerian, Dasuya and Tanda sub-divisions as the water will be released through Gate 52. Villagers in these areas have been sounded. With PTI
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