Army Deployed as Sutlej Floods Maroon 60 Ferozepur Villages
Over 10,000 people need urgent rescue; NDRF and health teams on ground….
Ferozepur, Aug 27 (TNS):
The flood situation worsened in Ferozepur district on Tuesday after the Sutlej river overflowed, inundating at least 60 villages near the India-Pakistan border. The rising waters forced the district administration to seek help from the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for a large-scale rescue operation.
Officials said nearly 10,000 residents require immediate evacuation as 2.30 lakh cusecs of water is flowing through the river. The situation may deteriorate further if heavy rains continue in Himachal Pradesh, the river’s catchment area.
Three border villages — Tendi Wala, Dheera Ghara, and Kaluwala — are among the worst-hit, with homes and fields completely submerged. Rescue teams evacuated 198 people from these areas on Monday night. Initially, villagers were reluctant to leave but later agreed to move to a relief camp set up at a government school in Bare Ke village after intervention by senior officials.
Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma confirmed that the Army’s assistance was sought to speed up operations. “Two pregnant women from Tendi Wala and Kaluwala have already been shifted to the Civil Hospital. Senior citizens and vulnerable groups are being prioritized, with 28 health teams deployed,” she said.
The administration also cleared water hyacinth blocking a bridge at Gatti Rajo Ke village and repaired a damaged bridge at Hazara Singh Wala. Officials warned that discharge levels remain dangerously high, with 2.73 lakh cusecs upstream of Harike and 2.30 lakh cusecs at Hussainiwala headworks.
