The Chief Minister had earlier deputed four Cabinet Ministers. (PTI Photo)Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Sunday presided over a high-level meeting to review the flood situation in the state’s four districts — Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Ropar. The DC’s of all these districts joined the meeting over phone. Also on Sunday, the Union government agreed to the CM’s request to send a central team to Punjab soon to assess the damage caused by floods.
A government statement said that Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had informed the state that a central team will be sent to Punjab, along with 11 other flood ravaged states, soon.
As the day brought more rain in the state, the CM tweeted, “In view of resumption of rainfall, have directed all ministers in charge and DCs to step up vigil.”
The Chief Minister had earlier deputed four Cabinet Ministers – Charanjit Singh Channi, Sunder Sham Arora, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu to oversee the relief operations in the flood ravaged districts of Ropar, Jalandhar and Kapurthala. On Saturday, CM had asked the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Powercom chairman B S Sra to ensure expeditious restoration of power supply in flood-hit villages.
Ferozepur
At the meeting, attended by Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar and State Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Amarinder asked \the Water Resources Department to work out a joint action plan with the Army authorities to strengthen the embankment at Tendiwala village in Ferozepur district on the Indo-Pak border. A few villages in Ferozepur district are facing flood threat after heavy water discharge from Pakistani side washed away major portion of an embankment in Tendiwala village.
Jalandhar
While reviewing the progress of relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken in Jalandhar, the Chief Minister was informed that as many as 389 families with 1690 members in the flood hit villages had been treated by the mobile teams. Another 655 patients were treated at the OPDs by these teams. About 4600 persons have so far visited the medical camps in the flood affected areas, said a government statement. As many as 31 persons have been evacuated to the nearby relief camps.
The CM was told that qith efforts of local residents, religious and social organisations, two major breaches in river Sutlej in Jalandhar district had been plugged by the district administration at village Mau Sahib, Meowal, whereas work on other breaches at Powahari Sailkiana villages of Phillaur and Jania Chahal village in Shahkot was nearing completion.
Kapurthala
About Kapurthala district, the CM was apprised that there was no loss of human life and cattle reported and that the district administration had constituted 20 flood relief teams and had stationed them in severely affected areas 24X7. As per the information given by Kapurthala DC, 1415 persons were given requisite treatment, with veterinary care provided to 640 cattle. He said that the distribution of dry ration packets and other relief material was also going on full swing.
Ropar
As per the inputs given by Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, the water-level in the flooded fields of the district had by and large receded. Nearly 500 persons were evacuated in Ropar, and drinking water and power supply has been restored in the flood affected villages. About 3300 persons have been provided with medical aid in 13 permanent and 22 mobile camps, and three ambulances pressed into services to provide emergency healthcare services. Apart from this, 20 teams of Animal Husbandry Department have been deputed in the district.
