All schools in Punjab will remain closed until Saturday, as many parts of the state are facing flood-like situations amid heavy rains. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains on Wednesday announced the holiday for schools in the state till August 26.
The government’s decision comes as several districts are facing flood-like situations due to the release of excess water from the Pong and Bhakra dams, further exacerbated by heavy rains in
neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.Minister Bains tweeted, “As per the instructions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ji, keeping in mind the floods caused by heavy rains in various districts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, has ordered the closure of all government/aided/recognised and private schools of the state for safety reasons with immediate effect. Holidays will be observed with immediate effect today (23rd August 2023) till 26th August 2023 (Saturday).”
The Pong and Bhakra dams, managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), released excess water due to
heavy rainfall, leading to flooding in the districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Ferozepur.
The water levels in Bhakra and Pong dams reached 1,677 feet and 1,398 feet, respectively, as of Wednesday, according to BBMB secretary Satish Singla.
The inflow of water into the dams was significant, with Bhakra Dam receiving 1.93 lakh cusecs and the Pong Dam receiving over seven lakh cusecs due to rainfall in their catchment areas over the past few days.
The surge in water levels also caused the Beas and Sutlej rivers to rise, resulting in flooding in low-lying areas along the rivers. Even the state capital, Chandigarh, experienced heavy rain. Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana were also affected by heavy rain.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, over 3,000 people have been rescued or relocated to safer locations in Punjab due to inundation caused by the release of excess water from the Bhakra and Pong Dams.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
