Chandigarh, Aug 18 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab undertake flood relief measures immediately, asserting that flooding of villages and fields along the Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers was resulting in tremendous hardship to people.
Asserting this in a statement here, senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the Beas the Sutlej rivers had wreaked havoc in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts.
He said in Sultanpur Lodhi and the adjoining areas, more than 25 villages had been inundated by the overflowing Beas waters. He said similarly, more than 20 villages in the Mand area had been inundated by floodwaters.
Cheema said the Ravi River had submerged agricultural land in Gurdaspur due to the release of water from the Ujh River and the Ranjit Sagar dam. He said villages in the Dera Baba Nanak area had also been affected by flood waters.
He said the Ghaggar river had also affected areas in Patiala, even as flood waters had entered Sardulgarh town. The SAD leader said reports of the release of water from the Pong and Bhakra dams had led to the inundation of fields in Hoshiarpur, Talwara and Hajipur.
Asserting that the AAP government seemed oblivious to the grim situation which was unfolding in the state, Cheema called for immediate relief measures.
He said many ‘deras’ had been cut off and their inhabitants should be provided with drinking water, food, medicines and fodder for milch animals. He also highlighted how stagnant water, as well as disruption in power supply, was leading to the rise of water-borne diseases.
“Doctors and medical personnel should be deputed to such areas immediately”, he asserted.
Cheema also called for undertaking preliminary girdwaris and releasing ad-hoc compensation to farmers for the destruction of the paddy crop, as well as damages for loss of milch animals and damage to houses.
–IANS
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