Army to the rescue as torrent rages

The deceased have been identified as Happy (15),a resident of Maheshnagar in Ambala cantonment who was drowned in the Tangri; and Bhupinder Singh (60),a resident of Boh village,who drowned in his submerged field. Another Ambala resident,Ranjit Singh,is reported to be missing.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda toured the flood affected areas of Ambala and Kurukshetra districts,where he found residents of Devinagar particularly angry with the district administration. The chief minister heard the complaints of the people and gave them assurances of looking into the matter before leaving the place.

The flood-hit areas so far include Ambala city,Garnala,Janetpur,Khatouli,Mandore,Sadopur,Sultanpur,Kakru,village Naggal,Khera,Jansui and Ambala cantonment. There is no adequate water or electricity supply in these areas,while telephone networks are in a mess,too,as several cellphone towers have sustained damage due to waterlogging.

In the last 72 hours,the district has received around 250 mm of rainfall,which has resulted in the Tangri to overflow and wreak havoc in the areas along its course.

Bus and train services have also been affected due to the floods. On Wednesday,passengers wanting to board buses connecting Ambala had to do so from the flyover,which is otherwise used by vehicles to bypass the heavy traffic on the road dividing Ambala Cantonment railway station and bus stand.

The district administration has been instructed by the Chief Minister’s office to conduct a special damage assessment even as the Army and the National Disaster Management Authority have been pressed into service to conduct rescue operations.

Educational institutions closed

The district administration has ordered closure of all educational institutions till July 10. However, banks,offices and other government establishments shall remain open during these days.

Chief Minister announces relief for deceased

The Chief Minister has announced a sum of Rs 2 lakh each on behalf of the state government and Rs 1 lakh each on behalf of the District Red Cross Society to the next of kin of the three persons who were eletrocuted during the flood on Tuesday.

Emergency help at hand

0172-2585504: Flood Control Room,Chandigarh.

2530401: Flood Control Room,Ambala.

2552200/01: Deputy Commissioner’s Residence,Ambala.

09216956184: Dr D P Lochan,Director Lab.

09216956175 : Dr J C Garg,Deputy Director (Planning).

Contact Dr Lochan and Dr Garg for emergencies pertaining to water-borne diseases