As the rain subsided slightly, river water levels in Haryana decreased in some districts on Friday, but the situation remains critical in others. Water from the Ghaggar and Markanda rivers is breaching embankments and entering fields and residential areas.
Chandigarh: Following a deficit in monsoon rainfall, the water levels in Haryana's rivers saw a decline on Friday, though the threat of floods persists in some areas. In the GT Road belt, most rivers, except for Markanda, Rakshi, and those in Kaithal, have receded below the danger mark. Nevertheless, the water level of the Ghaggar River continues to rise in Sirsa, Fatehabad, and Kaithal districts, affecting fields and settlements.
The Markanda River is in spate in Shahabad, Kurukshetra, and the waterlogging situation remains severe. The flow of rivers including Yamuna, Tangri, and Begna has reduced, but the threat has not entirely passed. On Friday, five people lost their lives due to waterlogging and rain.
Army Deployed in Bahadurgarh
Army personnel had to take charge in Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar district, to manage the waterlogging. Soldiers, along with teams from the Irrigation Department and NDRF, are working to strengthen the embankments of the Mungeshpur drain. Villages bordering the frontier are inundated with up to six feet of water, trapping approximately 3,000 people in their homes.
In Ambala, Anil (50), who had gone to deliver milk on Thursday, died due to waterlogging. In Kurukshetra, Arun (19) from Chanalheri drowned in Bibipur lake due to the overflowing Markanda River. In Fatehabad, Pawan Kumar (40), the head of a family, died when the roof of his house collapsed in Mangehra village, while his wife and two children were injured. Additionally, the bodies of Sagar, the father-in-law, and Bunti, the son-in-law, who had gone missing from Shiv Enclave 3 in Faridabad, were found in the waterlogged area.
Embankments and Drains Continuously Breaching Due to Strong Currents
Embankments and drains are continuously breaching due to b currents. In Tappu Kamalpur, Yamunanagar, sandbags placed over three days were washed away. A kutcha embankment near Naisi village in Kurukshetra and in Jhoradnali, Sirsa, broke. The Ghaggar drain breached near Patan, Gurana, and Kaimri in Hisar. The Pakasma-Ghandra drain in Sampala, Rohtak, overflowed.
Haryana has received 48 percent more rainfall than normal this monsoon. This has affected a total of 8,66,927 acres of agricultural land. The state government has provided ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh per family to the kin of 11 people who died due to house collapses in Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Kurukshetra, and Yamunanagar districts.
Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Dr. Sumita Mishra stated that Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, and Mahendragarh districts have received more rainfall than normal. All Deputy Commissioners and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) have been instructed to remain on high alert and issue weather warnings to the public.
e-Compensation Portal and Relief Efforts Continue
The state government has opened the e-Compensation portal until September 15, 2025, which will facilitate crop damage assessment and compensation for affected farmers. The portal will cover approximately 2,687 villages, and 1,46,823 farmers have already registered. 2,247 people affected by rain and floods have been safely moved to relief camps, particularly in Palwal, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Kurukshetra, and Ambala districts. Seven units of SDRF are strategically deployed in Palwal, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, and Faridabad. NDRF teams are providing additional assistance in Palwal.
The state government has approved a reserve fund of Rs 3.06 crore for immediate relief operations in flood-affected areas. Rs 50 lakh has been released to the Public Health Engineering Department for drainage works in urban areas, ensuring comprehensive coverage of both rural and urban flood-affected regions.
