Hoshiarpur / Daljeet Ajnoha/August 26 : Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain stated that due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and parts of Hoshiarpur district over the past two days, the inflow of water into Pong Dam has been continuously rising. She assured that the district administration is in constant coordination with BBMB and the Water Resources Department, and the water discharge is being carefully regulated on technical grounds.
The DC informed that sudden heavy water flow in the Chakki river led to breaches at some points in Motla, Mehtabpur, and Haled Jarnadan villages of Mukerian. Immediate action was taken by deploying teams from the Drainage, NREGA, and other concerned departments at the sites. She personally visited the affected villages, reviewed the situation, and interacted directly with the local residents.
She said the administration is in regular contact with affected families. Medical camps are being set up in impacted areas, along with arrangements for cattle fodder, drinking water, and chlorine tablets. Revenue department teams are assessing damages at affected households to ensure prompt compensation to eligible families.
The DC highlighted that the Red Cross Society is continuously delivering ration and other essentials to the affected people. Alongside, several social organizations, including Baba Deep Singh Welfare Society, are actively engaged in relief operations. She appealed to other NGOs and voluntary groups to coordinate with the Red Cross to ensure equitable distribution of relief material.
She further mentioned that for the past 10 days, issues at the guide bund of the National Highway bridge near Abdulapur, Rada, and Fatehpur Kulla in the Tanda area caused waterlogging. Teams have been stationed there as well, with round-the-clock monitoring to prevent lapses in relief efforts.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that the Chief Secretary of Punjab has given clear instructions to ensure no delay in relief and rehabilitation measures. Adequate funds have been released by the state government, and the district administration has also been provided with Disaster Management Relief Funds. She assured that damage assessment is being conducted simultaneously to provide timely financial assistance to the affected families.
Appealing to the residents, Aashika Jain advised people not to venture near the Beas River or low-lying areas, and to avoid risky activities such as bathing or taking selfies near flood-prone spots. She assured that the district administration is fully prepared to deal with any situation.
Aashika Jain also informed that a 24×7 control room has been established at the district level to tackle flood-related issues. The control room contact number is 01882-220412. Similar control rooms have been set up at the tehsil level — Hoshiarpur (01882-244175), Garhshankar (01884-282026), Dasuya (01883-506268), Tanda (01886-512952), and Mukerian (01883-244310). She said citizens can contact these numbers in case of emergencies or for any information, and assured that district administration teams are on duty round the clock to address people’s concerns without delay.
