With incessant rains continuing to lash across the region for the third consecutive day, the Punjab Police along with the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have scaled up the rescue and evacuation operations in flood-ravaged districts in the state, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.
The worst-affected districts include SAS Nagar, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar Rural and Patiala.Pertinently, following directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to ensure an elaborate flood protection mechanism is in place, DGP Gaurav Yadav and Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla have been personally supervising the situation in the state, while, CPs/SSPs have been asked to remain in the field and personally monitor the situation in their concerned districts at regular intervals.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that 15 teams of NDRF and two units of SDRF have been deployed in the worst-hit districts to plug breaches and carry out evacuation and rescue operations. Additionally, 12 columns of the Army have also been called in to help Civil Administration in the districts including Rupnagar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, SAS Nagar and Pathankot.
“Our teams along with NDRF, SDRF and Army have been working round-the-clock in extremely challenging conditions to safeguard the life and property of the people,” he said.Divulging more details, Special DGP Arpit Shukla said that the state control room has been actively working 24x7 for flood mitigation and hourly reports are being taken from districts to know the real-time situation in their concerned districts.
Anyone requiring any kind of help can call the 112 helpline number,” he said, while urging people of the state not to panic and cooperate with the administration and police. He also appealed to the people residing in low-lying or flood-prone areas that they should move to safer places or relief centres set up by their concerned district administration for their safety.
Meanwhile, Special DGP said that Punjab Police have made extensive arrangements including sandbags, tents, lights, langars and food packets, medicines and ambulances, rescue boats, recovery vans/JCBs, life jackets, communication and public address systems to deal with any kind of exigency arising out of floods. There is no dearth of funds from the CM Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government, he added.