Decrease in rainfall in Haryana; Hooda makes aerial survey

Chandigarh: After two days of excessive rains paralysing normal life in Haryana, a decrease in rainfall was experienced today with much less water flowing through Hathni Kund barrage as compared to yesterday`s alarming levels.

Yamunanagar and Karnal districts, which were most affected due to heavy rains with water flooding several houses, received much less rainfall today. Bilaspur and Jagadhri of Yamunanagar district received 19 mm and 21 mm of rainfall respectively which was much less as against heavy rains in last two days, a MeT Department official said here. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who made an aerial survey of Yamunanagar, said a special revenue survey has been ordered to ascertain the damage caused to crops due to heavy rains in districts of Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat. Speaking to reporters at Radaur after the aerial survey, the Chief Minister said no loss of life had been reported despite flood-like situation in several parts. Hooda said such heavy rains before the onset of the monsoon had never been witnessed in the state. "Perhaps the rain has broken 100 years old record," he said, adding as many as 37 villages of district Yamunanagar, 40 of Karnal and 20 villages of district Panipat have been affected owing to the rains. Hooda said as per reports, a maximum of 8,06,020 cusecs of water was discharged at Hathni Kund barrage on June 17, but today the same has reduced to 95,560 cusecs by 6 pm. Now the water level is reducing day by day, he added. The water discharge had caused flooding in the Yamuna river in the district yesterday, prompting authorities to sound a high alert in the neighbouring districts of Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Faridabad but the situation improved today. Meanwhile, the level of water in the Bhakra dam today touched 1595.04 feet as against the reservoirs upper limit of 1,680 feet. "There is no reason for any alarm as of now. The present level is normal for the rainy season considering that monsoon has arrived early this season," a Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) official said. Today, the inflow of water at Bhakra dam was 55,262 cusecs while the outflow was 36,043 cusecs. Meanwhile, a MeT official said rainfall in Punjab and Haryana is likely to further decrease from Thursday. In Punjab, Amritsar (9.5 mm), Patiala (trace rains), Nakodar (5 mm), besides capital town Chandigarh (1 mm) were among the few places to receive light rains today. With less rainfall activity in Punjab and Haryana today, the maximum temperatures also shot up since yesterday, even though they were still hovering well below the normal levels. Chandigarh (33 C), Ambala (34.2 C), Bhiwani (35 C), Hisar (35.3 C), Narnaul (35.5 C), Amritsar (36.6 C), Ludhiana (34.2 C) and Patiala (39.4 C) recorded maximum temperatures a few notches higher than those registered yesterday. The southwest monsoon on Sunday had advanced into entire Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab, as against the normal date of arrival between June 29-July 5. Last year, the monsoon had hit the region on July 7. However before the arrival of the monsoon in the region, heavy pre-monsoon showers lashed several parts of Haryana and Punjab. Hooda assured that all possible help would be extended so that farmers do not have to bear any loss. Adequate arrangements are being made for drainage of water logged villages. Government is quite alert and all round arrangements are being made to handle the situation, he said. Army and NDRF personnel yesterday had rescued several people who were marooned in areas in Yamunanagar district. Appreciating the efforts of district administration, Army, Air Force and the NDRF, Hooda said that the situation was being brought under control with their cooperation. Meanwhile, Haryana`s main opposition INLD today urged Governor Jagannath Pahadia to issue directions to the state government to take immediate steps to provide relief to "flood affected people in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Karnal, Sonipat and Palwal districts." INLD`s state unit chief Ashok Arora told reporters in Chandigarh that Haryana government was allegedly not taking required steps to deal with the floods in the state. PTI