Work to plug breaches begins

Announcing this on Saturday,Mohali Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh Mand said after receding of flood waters,the situation across the district is normal.

“Since the water level in Tangri,other seasonal rivulets and drains,which had swelled following incessant rains,has also come down considerably,the work to plug the breaches and strengthen them to avoid any such recurrence in future is on in full swing,” he said.

A 50 feet wide breach in Tangri rivulet and a seasonal drain near Lalru had claimed at least six lives besides forcing the closure of the busy Chandigarh-Ambala-Delhi National Highway for a day after it had submerged under four-feet water near Jharmari barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border.

Wreaking havoc,the floods had marooned at least 60 villages in different parts of the district,causing heavy damage to crop and property.

Also,the Kharar-Banur GT Road,which is another main road linking major parts of Punjab,Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir with Ambala and Delhi,also caved in at two places.

Around 20-25 feet wide breaches in the road had forced it to close down since Tuesday. The DC has also asked the Public Works Department and Mandi Board authorities to prepare estimates of the damaged village link roads under the respective jurisdictions across the district so that requisite funds are procured for taking up repair work on priority basis.

Flood-control rooms
To ensure immediate relief and rescue operations in case of any eventuality arising out of the floods,six control rooms were established in different parts of Mohali district on Saturday. “These control rooms will remain open round-the-clock and on receiving any distress call,they will alert the officials concerned to immediately extend the requisite help to the needy persons,” said Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh Mand. The control rooms could be called at: 0172-5044576 (Mohali),0160-2280853 (Kharar),0160-2643033 (Mazri),0160-2640055 (Kurali),01762-283224 (Dera Bassi),01762-287526 and 01762-286521 (Zirakpur) and 0175-2228272 (Drainage Department,Patiala).