CHANDIGARH: Floods claimed seven more lives and inundated about 160 villages in Punjab since last week, as the flood situation continued to be grim in the state and parts of Haryana.

So far 16 persons have died in flood-related incidents and cloud- bursts have claimed 44 lives in Himachal Pradesh during the cur- rent season.

Three persons were washed away at Harsi village in Tanda area of Hoshiarpur district, by flooded rivulets.

Two persons were drowned in flood waters of Ghaggar at Samodh village in Samana area of Patiala district. While two persons were washed away by flood waters at Bhagwal village in Derababa Nanak area of Gurdaspur district. The gushing waters of Sutlej have Submerged as many as 85 villages in Sultanpur Lodhi area of Kapurthala district.

Eighteen villages in Gurdaspur and Patiala districts each were flooded by swirling Ravi and Ghaggar waters, 13 villages in Jalandhar district, 12 in Ludhiana district and six in Ferozepur district were inundated by the Sutlej following heavy floods in the river, causing extensive damage to crops and property.

 Seasonal rivulets have flooded as many as eight villages in Hoshiarpur district and two in Anandpur Sahib Area of Ropar-district.

Deputy Commissioner Ferozepur, R. C. Nayar, said that the Army had been alerted to help supervise and protect the bundh from Hariks to Jalabad West.

The authorities were keeping a strict vigil at the Harike barrage, confluence of Sutlej and Beas rivers.

 The Beas have inundated large stretches of agriculture land in Mand area bordering the river near Gondwal in Amritsar district.

 The border fencing in the riverine belt of the Ravi in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts has suffered extensive damage and was still under water.

Meanwhile in Sangnur, Army has been put on alert keeping in view the rise in water level in Ghaggar rivulet near Khapauri Mandi in Sunam sub division of the district. Residents of the surrounding villages have been cautioned against possible floods.

However, the flood situation in Ajnala sub-division of Amritsar district improved with the receding of Ravi waters.

In Haryana, the water level at the Tajewala hard works, in Yamunanagar district was fast rising following heavy rains in catchment areas of the river.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 29, 1994