Part of highway caves in Hoshiarpur amid heavy rain in Punjab | Video
A video shared by news agency PTI showed a stretch of road caved in even as the authorities put up barricade to manage the traffic.
A section on the National Highway 3 caved in on Monday in Kandi area of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab amid heavy rain. Several parts of the state along with Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are witnessing incessant rainfall.
An official of the Punjab Police said that a portion of the highway collapsed as the area has been seeing continuous rainfall. A video shared by news agency PTI showed a stretch of road caved in even as the authorities put up barricade to manage the traffic.
Another stretch measuring nearly about 30-40 feet near the Jalalian drain was also reportedly washed away, disrupting traffic movement. Accumulation of water further delayed repair work, PTI reported.
Rising water levels in Ujh, Ravi rivers and rivulets inundated several villages in Pathankot near the India-Pakistan border.
The Pathankot district administration declared a holiday in all educational institutions in the wake of incessant rains in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, PTI quoted officials as saying.
"Keeping in mind the continuous rains in Pathankot district, a holiday is declared in all government/non-government schools, colleges and other educational institutions of Pathankot district on August 25," read an order issued by Pathankot Deputy Commissioner, Aditya Uppal.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rains across most parts of the Pakistan until August 30.
Flood-like situation dots Punjab
In the Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur district, heavy rainfall since Saturday drenched the catchment area of Chakki Khad, a tributary of the Beas river. This lead to a surge in its water level, ultimately flooding embankments and inundating farmlands and other low-lying areas in several villages.
"The river water has entered agricultural fields and some roads in nearby villages. However, it has not entered any residential houses so far, though it has reached close to certain localities," PTI quoted Mukerian Sub Divisional Magistrate Ankur Mohindru as saying.
“The Chakki Khad at Chakki-Mirthal gauge was bringing in nearly 1.34 lakh cusecs of water into the Beas,” said Sub Divisional Officer (Drainage and Mining) of Mukerian, Sukhpreet Singh.
At Naushera-Mirthal gauge, the flow was recorded at 1.04 lakh cusecs, while the Beas in Mukerian subdivision was carrying around 2.5 lakh cusecs.
Meanwhile, around 59,900 cusecs of water was reportedly released from the Pong dam on Sunday morning but the flow was later reduced to 23,700 cusecs by evening.
They said water from the Beas river entered agricultural fields near the villages of Motla, Halerjanardhan, Sanial, Kolian and Mehtabpur, and also reached close to some residential localities.
Relief measures are in place
Relief teams are deployed to ensure the health of people and livestock. Administration in charge of the affected areas have reportedly launched relief measures and are carrying out evacuations wherever necessary.
"Some families are also shifting to safer places and to their relatives on their own," Mohindru said, adding that the situation was under control.
Punjab Cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Sunday visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation and assured the people that the state government would give compensation for any loss.
Kapurthala deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal stated that the administration is continuously monitoring the water levels in the Beas river and urged people in the Mand area to exercise caution due to the rising water levels caused by heavy rainfall in the upper hilly regions.
Panchal affirmed that relief centers have been set up at the government school in Lakh Warian, Sultanpur Lodhi, and at Mand Kuka for the residents of the Mand area in Dhilwan.
“These centers have adequate arrangements for accommodation, food, medicines, and other essentials for the affected people,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
