Rain havoc: Relief measures going on war footing in Punjab, Haryana

Relief measures are going on a war footing in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday as several parts of the states remained flooded following incessant rains in the past three days.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will visit the worst-hit Ambala district on Wednesday to take stock of the situation, officials said.

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In Punjab, nearly 10,000 people have so far been evacuated in Patiala, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali, SBS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, they said.

The weather remained clear at most places for the second day in the region on Wednesday after three days of incessant rains.

According to government data, the death toll due to rain-related incidents in the two states is 15 which include seven deaths in Haryana.

The heavy rainfall has left behind a trail of destruction with properties worth crores obliterated and farmlands flooded.

Relief measures are going on a war footing in the affected areas of the two states, officials said.

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Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala also took stock of the situation in Ambala district on Wednesday. Driving a tractor, he met the affected people who apprised him of huge loss to property and crops caused by the floods.

Chautala assured them of extending all possible help in this hour of crisis. He also held a meeting with the officials concerned and gave them appropriate directions to tide over the situation.

Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is also expected to be visiting some of the flood-affected areas in Haryana on Wednesday.

The incessant downpour has inundated houses and caused extensive damage to crops and vegetables in many districts.

Ambala, Yamunangar, Kurukshetra, Patiala, Rupnagar, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, Mohali are some of the affected districts in the two states.

The overflowing Yamuna river on Tuesday inundated vast tracts of farm land in Karnal district.

The government has set up relief shelters in several districts in the two states.

The chief ministers of the two states are closely monitoring the situation, officials said.

State disaster management teams, NDRF and various government departments with help of the army have been engaged in relief and rescue operation.

Khattar had on Tuesday directed administrative secretaries in charge of flood-affected districts to rush to the areas assigned to them and oversee the relief work.

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma also held a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the rain damage and orchestrate relief work in the affected areas. The state has also constituted Rapid Response Teams and appointed nodal officers to supervise the ongoing flood relief operations. Permanent medical camps have been established at areas highly affected by floods, officials added.