CM Khattar stresses on proper drainage, evacuating people as heavy rains inundate Haryana

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Monday held an emergency meeting with senior officials and stressed keeping a close vigil and ensuring proper water drainage as rains battered parts of the state for the third consecutive day.

Rains continued to lash parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday, flooding many places, forcing the mobilisation of Flood Relief columns of the Army's Western Command to assist the two states in rescue and evacuation efforts.

In view of the downpour and the resulting flood situation, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes for the day and summoned an emergency meeting with senior officials of various departments.

Later, he held a meeting with all deputy commissioners through video conferencing.

Khattar directed the deputy commissioners to keep a close vigil on the situation and ensure proper drainage of water as well as smooth traffic movement so that people do not face any problems.

"Apart from making adequate arrangements to tackle any situation, timely delivery of food packets in the waterlogged areas should also be ensured," Khattar was quoted as saying in an official statement.

The water levels of the Yamuna, Ghaggar and other small rivers are rising continuously because of continuous rains, he said. "Therefore quick evacuation arrangements should be made to ensure that people living in the low-lying areas are timely taken to safety." The chief minister told the deputy commissioners to keep a close watch on the situation. If any area is flooded, adequate arrangements should be made to rescue people, he said.

Khattar directed the Panchkula deputy commissioner to look into the problems faced by the people after a bridge in Mandawala, about five km from Himachal Pradesh's Baddi collapsed on Sunday.

He also directed the officers of the Town and Country Planning and Urban Local Bodies Department to pay special attention to the planning of drainage systems for future urbanization.

At the meeting, the Ambala deputy commissioner apprised the chief minister that in the last three days, the district has received 493 mm of rain, causing swelling of rivers.

The deputy commissioner told Khattar that rescuing people from low-lying areas has started. The district administration is ready for every situation. Army contingent has also been deployed at the Narwana branch, he said.

Chairman of Power Discoms P K Das said some areas of Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment were without power supply and directions have been given to restore the supply from other sources.

The Panchkula deputy commissioner apprised Khattar areas adjacent to the Ghaggar river have been evacuated as the river was flowing at the danger level. In Yamunanagar too, people living in low-lying areas near the Yamuna were being evacuated in view of the rising water level of the river.