BSF outposts along Indo-Pak border inundated

Chandigarh, August 20

With water continuing to be released from both Pong and Bhakra dams, inundating thousands of acres of land, some border outposts of the Border Security Force (BSF) too have been submerged along the Indo-Pak border.

With more rain forecast in Himachal Pradesh in the next three days, the state government is on high alert. One person is learnt to have been swept away in floodwaters in Dhaliwal Bet village of Dhilwan.

It is learnt that two outposts of the BSF in Ferozepur and Fazilka areas have been submerged, while four have been surrounded by water. Residents of Fazilka along with BSF personnel have built a 2,200-metre security dam on the India-Pakistan border to save their crops.

In Fazilka and Ferozepur, thousands of acres continue to be submerged. A state government report shows that crops on 4,168 acres in Fazilka have been damaged. As many as 1,321 persons were evacuated today, including 1,246 from Ferozepur alone. As many as 247 persons in these two districts, in addition to 28 in Tarn Taran, have been shifted to relief camps.

Today, 68,696 cusecs of water was released from the Pong dam and 58,400 cusecs from the Bhakra dam. The water level in the Pong dam remained 1.27 feet above the maximum limit of 1,390 feet. The water level in the Sutlej remained high at Hussainiwala (2,25,420 cusecs), though it has started falling at Harike (1,69,643 cusecs today against 2.80 lakh cusecs last week).

In Tarn Taran, too, 39 villages continue to be inundated, while 49 villages in Gurdasapur were impacted. The breach in dhussi bundh in Harike Hathar area has flooded 24 villages.

Kasur in Pakistan hit by floods too

Floodwater has reached Kasur in Pakistan. The maize crop has been significantly affected on the Pakistan side.