In rain-battered Ambala, Patiala people join hands in rescue, relief efforts

Ambala/Patiala: Three days of incessant rains hit Haryana's Ambala district and neighbouring Patiala of Punjab the worst, but could not dampen the spirit of the locals as they extended help to their neighbours stranded by waterlogging, bringing them food, water bottles and medicines.

At many places in the affected districts, people joined hands with the NDRF, police and the Army in relief and rescue operations.

"It is our duty as citizens to do our bit during this grave crisis," said Deepak Madan, a resident of Ambala city, who distributed food packets and clothes in the Manmohan Nagar residential colony.

Rajesh Khosla, who runs an NGO, has been visiting affected areas in the Ambala district with food packets, water bottles and fruits for the affected people.

Heavy rainfall led to swelling of rivers and major canals were breached, inundating roads, residential colonies as well as tracts of agricultural fields. As water gushed into houses in parts of the two states, authorities raced to bring affected people to safety.

Breakdown in power and water supply in some of the worst-affected areas of Punjab and Haryana escalated people's problems.

In Patiala's Urban Estate Phase area, residents helped each other in every possible way they could.

A youth clung onto a boat used by NDRF to reach out to the affected people with water bottles in his hands. He said the water bottles were for the people in the affected parts of Patiala. In some of the affected areas, some volunteers could be seen using tractors carrying essentials.

In the Rupnagar district of Punjab, several people joined hands with the administration to extend a helping hand to those in need. "It is the indomitable spirit of the Punjabis to rise to the occasion and help each other whenever any crisis confronts them," said Parminder Singh, who was reaching out to affected people in the district with aid.

On Tuesday, Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij visited some of the affected residential colonies close to the Tangri river in Ambala Cantonment. He directed the local administration to make every possible arrangement for the people in flood-affected areas.

Although the rain ebbed on Tuesday after three days of incessant downpour, it has left behind a trail of destruction in several parts of Punjab and Haryana where properties worth crores were damaged and 10 lives lost.

The governments in both states have stepped up efforts to provide relief to affected people. Relief shelters have been set up in the affected districts in the two states, including Rupnagar, Patiala, Mohali, Ambala and Panchkula.