CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab on Saturday worsened further as over 100 km of fencing on the Indo-Pak International Border and several outposts of the Border Security Force (BSF) was inundated by the swollen Sutlej River.
The floods also damaged the border fence at several locations, sources said. In all, 287 villages in eight districts of the state have been inundated after the release of water from the Pong and Bhakra- Nangal dams into the Beas and Sutluj rivers owing to a downpour upstream in Himachal Pradesh.
In contrast, Punjab witnessed negligible rainfall over the past few days. Highly placed sources said around 108 km of fencing on the International Border in the Ferozepur and Fazilka districts of Punjab is inundated.
“Our personnel are patrolling the border 24x7 in boats so that intruders and smugglers do not cross over into India by taking advantage of the flood situation. Also, our men are helping the local district administrations in relief and rescue operations,’’ said a senior BSF officer.
Gurdaspur is the most affected district in Punjab with 114 villages inundated, followed by 45 each in Ferozepur and Kapurthala, 39 in Taran Taran, 22 in Fazilka, 18 in Hoshiarpur, 3 in Ropar and one in Amritsar.
A school building at Kaluwala village in Ferozepur district near the International Border, which served as a shelter for the locals, is now marooned. Flood waters entered the school on Friday. The village with a population of 300 is now almost empty. It’s accessible only by boat.
Meanwhile, Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains was bitten by a venomous snake during a flood rescue operation in his constituency of Anandpur Sahib on August 15. He is recovering.