Chandigarh, August 24, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday evening directed the Kapurthala district administration to further intensify the pace of relief and flood protection measures besides providing all necessary material to the families stranded at inundated villages.
Reiterating his resolve to extend all possible assistance to the families to combat the situation arising out of massive floods in Kapurthala district, Captain Amarinder Singh, who is personally monitoring the situation to take stock of relief, rescue and evacuation operations in Kapurthala.
The Chief Minister has directed the Principal Secretary Water Resources to closely monitor the works of plugging breaches at a few sites on the bank of Satluj river besides ensuring dewatering of waterlogged areas at the earliest in order to provide relief to the residents of these areas.
The Chief Minister also directed the Health Department and Civil Surgeons of the districts facing severe crisis due to floods to ensure requisite stock of medicines to contain the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Captain Amarinder also instructed the Animal Husbandry Department to provide adequate supply of medicines and fodder for the livestock in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Kapurthala informed Captain Amarinder Singh that in Sultanpur Lodhi Tehsil our of total 87 affected villages , 20 were cut off. Out of these villages 48 having Abadi while 39 were be-chirag. He said that an approximate area of 26,000 acres was affected besides 1777 households comprising 9578 persons in 20 villages cut-off due to floods.
Apprising about the relief measures, he said that there was no loss of human life and cattle reported and the district administration had constituted village-wise 20 flood relief teams and stationed in affected areas on 24X7 basis.
Giving details about the medical assistance being provided in the region, the DC said that till today evening as many as 1415 persons were given requisite treatment besides providing veterinary care to 640 cattle. H
e said 240 quintal food material (4800 food-packets of 500gm each comprising of 2 biscuit packs, 4 pranthas/pickle/aloo subzi, 1 water bottle) was air-dropped via IAF MI-17 helicopter in affected villages as on August 22 whereas 1930 units of Ration items (comprising of 1kg wheat flour, one matchbox, 500gm sugar, 200gm tea, 200ml cooking oil, 1 unit bathing soap, 500gm potatoes, 500gm onion, 200gm salt, 1 packet Tortoise coil, 500gm dal and 1,000 boxes containing 24,000 plastic glasses of 200ml each) distributed till August 24.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that ration units to affected these villages had been distributed, which will last till August 25 and 150 ration units in were stock; material for about 500 persons in stock, out of which packets will be made by noon tomorrow; 1000 ration units expected from DC, Moga tomorrow for which liaisoning has been made; with this, there will be 1650 ration units in stock tomorrow, which will be distributed if needed somewhere.
The Chief Minister also directed the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner to assess the loss of infrastructure at the earliest. He also informed that assessment (girdawari) will be done immediate after the water recedes and preliminary meeting has been held with concerned officials and they have been asked to submit their estimates of damage caused due to floods.
Four Relief-cum-Evacuation Centres have been made operational at Gurdwara Rababsar Sahib, Bharoana, Govt. Elementary School, Takia, and Bhago Araiyan and CIIIT, Jabbowal, said he adding as many as 325 persons had been evacuated.
Briefing about the breaches in the river and status of plugging, he said there were four breaches in the river at Tibbi, which had been plugged besides preventing the other three by undertaking immediate repair works at village Sarupwal, Indrissa and Ahli Kalan of Dhussi Bandh.
He also informed about the status of receipt of boulder stones from Pathankot and said that Six boulder stone-laden tippers (quantity 6,000 cft), which were dispatched from Pathankot yesterday and were to reach breach site at Sultanpur Lodhi. Meanwhile, SDO (Mining), Pathankot informed local drainage officials today that six trucks have been dispatched today for Sultanpur Lodhi.
As many as, 233 rescue personnel including 102 Army personnel, 3 NDRF Teams with 66 personnel, 40 personnel of PAP, 25 of 7th IRB Battalion, Villagers, NREGS Labour and other Labour of Drainage Department were deployed in these areas with pressing 14 boats into services including 3 from Army nine from NDRF and two from Punjab Armed Police.
