PATIALA: As the district administration on July 14, claimed to have pooled all its sources to provide relict to flood victims, there are also reports of demonstrations by People in certain parts of the city in protest against alleged “mishandling” of the post deluge situation.

An Official spokesman said that the district authorities were “fully aware” of the woes of citizens but shortage of manpower had hindered relief measures. The spokesman added that 200 salvage workers, tractor trailers and medical teams had been requisitioned from other districts. He claimed that water and power supply had been restored in the majority of the areas and cleanliness drive was also going on.

Despite official claims, residents were frenzied over alleged delay in government aid. Those living in far-flung colonies like Tafzal pura and Tejbagh complain that no official had so far visited them. The. Traders of New Grain Market, here, on Wednesday, blocked traffic in front of Deputy Commissioner’s residence and raised slogans against lack of drinking water and delay in removal of decomposed grains, mainly wheat which is causing a nasty smell in the area.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman said that total death toll in Patiala City reached 65 on Saturday. Official sources said that 12 people had drowned in Patran which is submerged under water, Subhash Chander reader of the tehsildar of Patran also died when he was trying to evacuate marooned people. The district administration has also decided to reward Darshan Singh, a rickshaw puller of Patran who saved at least right people at great risk lo his own life.

ROPAR: The incidence of conjunctivitis and skin diseases is on the rise in the flood affected ‘areas of this district, the carcasses of the cattle lying in the open are adding to the woes of the people.

About 150 wells out of a total of 600 are yet to be treated leaving ample scope for the spread of water home diseases. Twenty percent of the affected population is yet to be covered by the health hazard prevention teams.

BATALA: Twelve deaths have been reported in Batala subdivision, out of which seven were reported in Gurdaspur tehsil, three In Batalaand one in Pathankot tehsil. These persons have been identified as Chuni Lal (Batala) Ramesh Kumar (Misharpur), Kala (Gonspur), Satnam Singh (Talwandi Lal Singh), Gurmej Singh (Faizabad), Inderjit Singh and Raj (Lodhi Nangal), Paramject Singh, Jarnail Singh and Beant Singh (Choudhry Wal), Gulzar Singh (Dhadiala Mazara) and Rakesh Kumar (Fatchgarh Churian). FAZILKA;After a tour of the flood affected areas of Ferozepore district, Deputy Commissioner Sarvesh Kanshat disclosed that one lakh people of the district have been affected due to the devastating floods,

Relief For flood ravaged north CHANDIGARH (PTI): Indian premier Narasimha Rao on July 16 undertook an aerial survey of flood affected areas in Punjab and Haryana slates and announced relief of Rs 34.25 million even as an overcast sky signaled that fresh rainfall was in the offing.

Rao announced an additional grant of Rs.10 million for Punjab and Rs.25 hundred thousand for Haryana from his relief fund and gave an assurance that federal government would release all the remaining four installments of Punjab’s share of about Rs.160 million from the calamity relief fund immediately.

One installment of Rs.50 million has just been released. Similarly, Haryana’s share of Rs.125 million from this fund would also be released, he said.

Green fields timed into sheets of muddy water, submerged houses, Swirling waters of overflowing rivers and canals, covered by a blanket of thick, dark cloud, were what Rao witnessed during his aerial survey.

Town after town looked lifeless and devastated with Kaithal in Haryana totally submerged and cutoff from all sides. The nearby areas of Tohana and Jakhal also bore the brunt of Moods at the “Ghaggar” river over lowed and timidity wrath on all that came its way.

Army and civil officials at the Chandigarh airport, who were involved in flood relief and rehabilitation exercises, told the Press Trust of India that a proposal for building a barrage over the Ghaggar had been “hanging fire” for the past three decades.

Rains this year have left more than 200 dead in the two states and submerged thousands of hectares of land.

Rao assured the governments and the people of the two states that the federal government would do everything possible to mitigate their suffering. “This aspect becomes more important in view of the fact that these two states are the granaries of our country.”

Meanwhile reports from the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh said all the 500 persons, including 300 foreign tourists, Stranded at Koksar in Tribal Lahaul Valley for the past six days had been rescued and brought to the hill resort of Manali on Thursday night.

Continuing rains and floods claimed three more lives, raising the death toll in Himachal Pradesh to 39. Relief for flood ravaged north.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 23, 1993