Punjab: 13,500 people rescued, 2200 in shelters amid floods, says Fazilka ADC

Fazilka (Punjab) [India], September 6 (ANI): A total of 13,500 people have been rescued in Punjab's Fazilka amid floods in the state, and 2200 people are in nine operational shelters, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Fazilka Mandeep Kour said.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, ADC Kour said that four National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) units, two Army units and one Border Security Force (BSF) unit have been deployed.
She said, "There is no breach in the Sutlej protection bund in Fazilka. Work is ongoing at 2-3 locations for its strengthening, and it can withstand water pressure. 20 villages located on the other side of the Sutlej creek are severely affected; there is no road connectivity there. We have four NDRF units, two Army units and one BSF unit deployed here. So far, 13,500 people have been rescued, and 2200 people are in nine operational shelters."
"Medical facilities, veterinary doctors, cattle feed, food, water and recreational activities for children are made available at relief centres. We have hired volunteers from the education department deployed at the relief shelters," she added.
The ADC said that 17,785 hectares of land and crops worth Rs 2.5 crores have been destroyed in floods.
She said, "17,785 hectares of land and crops worth Rs 2.5 crores are destroyed in floods. Many houses are submerged. Once the water recedes, damage assessment will be done. The water level in the Sutlej is stable; it has not risen."
The death toll from floods in Punjab rose to 43 on Friday, even as rescue and relief operations intensified with AIIMS Delhi sending a specialised medical team to the affected areas, officials said.
According to a release by the Department of Information and Public Relations, the deaths were reported from Amritsar (5), Barnala (5), Bathinda (4), Fazilka (1), Ferozepur (1), Gurdaspur (2), Hoshiarpur (7), Mansa (3), Pathankot (6), Patiala (1), Rupnagar (1), Sangrur (1) and SAS Nagar (2) and Ludhiana (4). Three people remain missing.
Amid flooding in low-lying areas in Haryana, the state government has opened a portal for farmers to register their losses and receive compensation, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said.
CM Saini said, "Our low-lying areas are flooded. There has been a lot of damage in different areas, and many crops have also been damaged. We have also opened a portal where farmers can register their losses, so that the losses can be compensated." (ANI)