Floods damage crops in Ambala, Hansi, Yamunanagar

Chandigarh, Sep 21 (UNI) Thousands of acres of standing paddy and other crops were submerged in deep waters in the districts of Ambala, Hansi and Yamunanagar due to heavy rains causing breaches in canals and flood water overflowing into nearby villages.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said he had made an aerial survey of the areas falling in Yamuna belt and damage caused by the flood waters would be assessed and compensated.

According to official sources, though no casualty was reported from anywhere, army needed to be called in some places to help plug the wide breaches. In Yamunanagar district, where Yamuna waters overflowed into eight villages, the rescue teams today rescued 40 farm labourers who were marooned in deep floodwaters since last night.

In Ambala, the SYL canal was breached at five places in Naggal in the district today. The dry canal which was flowing upto berm with rainy water, touched the danger mark when it started taking water from the swollen Ghaggar river and was breached at five places near village Sarala at the Haryana-Punjab border.

Poor maintenance of the SYL was stated to be the cause of breaches. A small breach between Sarala and Khaira villages has become about 60 feet wide where the Army jawans from Engineering unit are engaged in plugging the breach.

In Ambala district, the flood water has spread in the lands of villages Naggal, Khera, Nadiali, Ismail pur, Amipur, Badingan, Tangerian and others where miles long sheet of water could be seen covering the crops.

The Ambala SDM M K Ahuja camping on the site since morning said the Army had been requisitioned and sand bags and other construction material had been arranged for plugging the breach at village Khaira. In Hisar district, due to breach in the Petwar canal near Hansi, the water entered into the town and inundated about a dozen colonies. It took hours to drain the water out.

In Yamunanagar district, eight villages in the Raduar region, were inundated with Yamuna waters. The waters not only submerged the fields and damaged standing crops, it also flooded the houses affecting a large number of people.

The villages which were worst affected included Sangli, Gumthala, Lal Chhappar, Samthala, Khukhni Mandara, Aneri and Kantroli.

Yesterday 4.9 lakh cusec water was released from the Hathni Kund barrage but the water flow had lessened today, sources said.

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