CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab worsened on Thursday following the release of excess water from the Bhakra-Nangal and Pong dams into the swollen Beas and Sutlej rivers.
Two teenage boys accidentally fell into a swollen rivulet in the Gurdaspur district, where they had gone to watch the rising water level. Their bodies were recovered later. Another person went missing in Kapurthala district.
The flood waters have inundated at least 150 villages in six districts of Punjab, disrupting normal life.
The authorities had issued fair warning and nearly 9,700 people were rescued, officials said.
According to official sources, 70 villages in Gurdaspur are affected and around 5,000 people have been evacuated from the district.
In neighbouring Hoshiarpur district, 18 villages are under water, officials said. The number of affected villages in Taran Taran district is estimated at 39.
In Ropar district, some 15 villages are affected while in Amritsar district, one village is hit.
Himanshu Agarwal, deputy commissioner of Gurdaspur, said that multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Army and Border Security Force have been pressed into service to rescue marooned villagers.
Officials fear the flood situation may escalate further as heavy rain is expected in upstream Himachal Pradesh, where the catchment areas of the Pong and Bhakra dams lie.
The Punjab government has already sounded a red alert for the downstream districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran.
Flooding may have damaged 90% of paddy crop
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday visited Hoshiarpur district to take stock of the situation. He said the state government has ordered a survey to ascertain the loss incurred to people due to floods.
According to preliminary estimates, 90% of the paddy crop has been adversely affected.