Flash floods and soil erosion triggered by heavy rain disrupt train services in Punjab
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rain in parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in the next 36-48 hours.
3 min read
Incessant rain over the past 48 hours has created a flood-like situation in parts of Punjab. (File Photo)Rail traffic on the Pathankot Cantt–Kandrori section in Punjab has been suspended after heavy soil erosion and flash floods in the Chakki river in Pathankot damaged track alignment, the Northern Railway said on Tuesday. The disruption has led to the cancellation and diversion of trains, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Tuesday’s Train No. 54622 Pathankot–Jalandhar City Passenger has been cancelled.
Train No. 22478 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra–New Delhi Vande Bharat Express will run via Pathankot–Gurdaspur–Amritsar–Beas–Jalandhar Cantt on Tuesday instead of its usual route through Pathankot Cantt–Mukerian–Bhogpur Sirwal. Train No. 19224 Jammutavi–Sabarmati BG Express will also run on the same diverted route on Tuesday, skipping stops at Mirthal, Mukerian, Dasuya, Tanda Urmar, and Bhogpur Sirwal.
“The diversions are temporary and restoration work will be taken up on priority once the water level recedes and the track is stable,” said a railway official.
Watch:
Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, appealed to passengers to check revised train schedules before travelling.
Incessant rain over the past 48 hours has created a flood-like situation in parts of Punjab. Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, and Kapurthala districts are among the worst-hit, with waterlogging reported in several low-lying areas. The heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh has further worsened the situation, leading to rising water levels in rivers flowing into Punjab. On Monday, 1.7 lakh cusecs of water were released from Harike Headworks.
The district administrations in Fazilka and Ferozepur have issued urgent evacuation appeals to residents living near the Sutlej creek, including in villages such as Mohar Jamsher, Teja Ruhela, and Dona Nanka.
Punjab minister Baljit Kaur visited flood-prone villages on Monday and urged people to shift women, children, and the elderly to safer places. The Government said that relief camps have been set up, boats deployed, and special arrangements made for pregnant women and livestock.
In many flood-affected villages, however, people say the Government’s efforts are inadequate, with some criticising Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for visiting Tamil Nadu when Punjab is facing the flood fury.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rain in parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in the next 36-48 hours.
You May Like
