CHANDIGARH: The flood situation remained grim in eight districts of Punjab—Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar—as district administrations, with the help of the Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continued relief and rescue operations.
Some 518 villages have been affected by the floods in seven districts of the state. Sources said that 150 villages in Gurdaspur, 115 villages in Kapurthala, 100 villages in Amritsar, 65 villages in Ferozepur, 50 villages in Taran Taran, 23 villages in Pathankot and 15 villages in Fazilka distrct have been effected due to the floods.
At least three people have died in rain-related incidents.
The water levels at Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams have already crossed the maximum limits, while at Bhakra dam, it is only nine feet short of full capacity. More than 300 government schools are likely to be affected by flood in these areas.
The Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets, rose following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, inundating large stretches of farmland and villages in Punjab.
At Bhakra dam, the water level was recorded at 1671.85 feet, just nine feet below the maximum level of 1680 feet, with inflow at 38,583 cusecs and outflow at 52,584 cusecs. Pong dam stood at 1,393.36 feet, exceeding its maximum capacity of 1,390 feet, with inflow at 57,183 cusecs and outflow at 94,845 cusecs. Ranjit Sagar dam, which has a maximum limit of 527.91 meters, was at 525.49 meters, registering an inflow of 56,572 cusecs and outflow of 1.01 lakh cusecs. At Shahpur Kandi dam, the water level touched 399.60 meters against a maximum of 405 meters, with outflow at 89,932 cusecs.
Sources said if heavy inflows continue for another day or two, the increased release of water from reservoirs to maintain safe levels could worsen flooding in low-lying areas.
In the Ramdass area of Amritsar district, around 40 villages have been submerged after the Dhussi Bandh on the Ravi river breached at three points, allowing water to enter nearby habitations. Army personnel are using vehicles and boats to rescue stranded people. Police have been making loudspeaker announcements urging residents to move to safer places as water continues to enter villages at high speed.
Locals expressed concern that the rising waters could soon overflow into the Sakhi Nullah, posing a direct threat to Ajnala town. The highway is acting as a temporary barrier, but its capacity to hold back water is weakening.
Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said that with water levels rising and more villages submerged, tractors and army vehicles are being used for rescue as roads have become impassable. She added that additional NDRF teams from Bathinda were on their way and more army assistance was being mobilised. Sawhney herself had to abandon her vehicle and switch to a tractor to oversee operations.
The situation in Ferozepur district also remained serious, with over 2,000 people rescued from affected villages in the past 48 hours. Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said 12 relief camps have been set up at Bagge Wala, Bare Ke, Dulchi Ke, Fatte Wala, Joege Wala, Dona Mathar, and Madi Ke.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Education Department has begun assessing the damage caused to schools. Preliminary reports suggest over 300 senior secondary and elementary schools have been affected. The state government had already declared holidays from August 27 to 30.
Sources said many government schools in Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, and Fazilka districts were inundated. Schools in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, and Nawanshahar districts have also been affected. "Furniture and other infrastructure in schools are likely to have been damaged, and safety checks will need to be conducted before classes can resume," said an official.
