Flood fury: Over 1,000 people rescued, 64 villages affected in Punjab's Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur (Punjab): More than 1,000 people have been rescued so far from flood-hit Hoshiarpur even as the number of affected villages in the district rose to 64, said officials on Thursday.

Several villages in Tanda and Mukerian sub-divisions remained inundated because of heavy inflow of water from the Beas river and rains, they said.

Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain has ordered round-the-clock vigil at vulnerable points along canals, seasonal rivulets and the Beas river embankments.

The number of flood-affected villages in the district rose from 44 on Wednesday to 64 on Thursday, including 28 in Mukerian tehsil, 20 in Dasuya and 14 in Tanda, the officer said.

The administration has so far evacuated 1,052 people, of whom 784 were shifted during the past 16 hours alone, she added.

At present, 15 relief camps are operational, housing 413 people, including 280 who were moved there in the past 16 hours.

Meanwhile, Pong dam authorities, following heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the river, increased discharge into the Shah Nehar Barrage from about 95,000 cusecs to 1.10 lakh cusecs at 2 pm.

The officials said the dam's water level, which touched 1,393.55 feet at 4 am, slightly eased to 1,393.26 feet around noon, still above the upper limit mark of 1,390 feet and close to its full capacity of 1,410 feet.

The inflow was about 60,000 cusecs in the afternoon, they said.

The deputy commissioner directed that able-bodied adult male residents of all villages be deputed for 'theekri pehra' (night watch duty) to safeguard embankments from possible breaches.

She further instructed village panchayats to ensure compliance with these orders in their respective areas.

Floods have so far damaged 5,287 hectares of agricultural land in the district. Seventeen 'kutcha' houses have collapsed while five others have suffered severe damage and one was partially damaged during the current monsoon season, the officer added.

The affected villages, where crops submerged, were Gandhowal, Rara Mand, Talhi, Salempur, Abdullapur, Mewa Miani and Fatta Kulla in Tanda subdivision, as well as Motla, Haler Janardhan, Sanial, Kolian and Mehtabpur in Mukerian subdivision.

Dharminder Singh (36), a resident of Gandhowal village, said he and his family of 10 had to abandon their house and move with their cattle to the Tanda, Sri Hargobindpur Road, where they are living in a tractor-trailer.

Around 125 people, including women and children from Gandhowal, Fatta Kulla and Rara Mand villages, have also taken shelter there in tractor-trailers covered with tarpaulins.

"Though the administration has set up relief camps, they are not suitable as we have cattle with us," Dharminder Singh said, adding that food was being provided by Bhai Mann Singh and Pul Pukhta gurdwaras.

Recalling the 2023 floods, he said he had to abandon his house then as well, during which some of his belongings were stolen in his absence.

"This time we have to keep an eye not only on our families but also on our houses," he said, adding that so far the government assistance they have received is limited to medicines provided by an ambulance team and veterinary doctors who checked their cattle.