Flood warning
along Yamuna, Beas
10 killed in rain
in region
From
Tribune Reporters
YAMUNANAGAR, Oct 18 —
Unprecedented rain in Yamuna's catchment area has created
havoc in the entire region. It is learnt that for the
first time since 1955 the water level has touched 5.41
lakh cusecs at Tajewala headworks in October.
Due to the pressure of
water at the headworks, gate number 3 was washed away
averting a major tragedy.
There has been rain in the
entire region too for the past three days contributing to
floods from the river. A number of villages i.e.
Nawazpur, Lakar, Bheelpura, Bhailgarh, Mandoli, Tapu,
Odhri, Chotta Lapra, Bara Lapra, Sabapur and many others
have been flooded and crops destroyed.
A stretch of the main
Saharanpur-Yamuna highway is under two feet of water
hitting traffic.
The floods from Tajewala
head works are likely to cause damage downstream at
Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Faridabad and Delhi. The
Irrigation Department has sent signal to the concerned
officials to monitor the situation.
FARIDABAD: The
district administration has asked residents of 15
villages situated on the banks of the Yamuna to move to
safer places in view of the impending rise in the level
of the river.
This warning comes after
heavy rain in the catchment area of the Yamuna in
Himachal Pradesh which led to the release of six lakh
cusecs of water from the Tajewala headworks. The water is
expected to reach the Yamuna in Faridabad district late
tonight.
Mr R P Bhardwaj, SDM of
Ballabhgarh, told TNS that a red alert had been sounded
in the Khader area of the Yamuna. Essential commodities
and medicines had already been rushed to the villages
likely to be affected by the rise in the level of the
river.
"Mr Bhardwaj said
that ferrying of people across the river by steamers had
also been prohibited in view of the flood threat.
"Last June 12 persons
had lost their lives when a steamer overturned in the
Yamuna near Hohna after its level rose following release
of water from Tajewala headworks.
NURPUR: Following
the release of excess water from Pandoh Dam by the BBMB
authorities on Saturday the Pong Dam authorities have
warned against using the ferries of Maharana Pratap
Reservoir of Pong Dam as the excessive water accumulated
in the reservoir could be released at any time.
According to Mr P D
Chowdhary the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Jawali, the
water level of the reservoir, which has already risen to
dangerous levels due to incessant rains is likely to
cross the danger mark after opening of the gates of
Pandoh Dam.
After receiving a wireless
message in this connection, the local civil authorities
have launched a drive to warn residents.
SHIMLA: Eleven
people were killed in house collapses in Shimla district
and extensive damage caused in various parts of the state
due to intermittent heavy rains since last evening,
official sources said here today.
Deputy Commissioner, Ram
Subhag Singh told newsmen six members of a family were
buried alive in a house collapse in Chopal area of Shimla
district while three members of another family were
killed in another house collapse incident in the Rohru
area.
"Two persons lost
their lives as their house collapsed in the Theog area.
All the bodies had been recovered.
However, dampened Divali
spirits were revived to some extent today as the fierce
storm lashing the region for the past three days subsided
giving relief to the people.
Water supply and
telecommunication services in some parts of Shimla
remained disrupted due to the damage caused by
landslides.
Rail services on the
Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge section were resumed at 1300
hrs today after clearing the track at Kumarhatti and
Kaithali Ghat.
Meanwhile, the higher
reaches in tribal areas experienced snowfall for the
fourth day today while the sky remained heavily overcast
in the mid-hills.
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