Indian Air Force Rescues 60 in Pathankot Floods

The Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted 60 irrigation officials stranded at the Madhopur barrage in Punjab’s Pathankot district, where flooding caused by heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh led to the submersion of numerous villages. One officer remains missing, with search operations ongoing, as confirmed by Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal. The crisis was exacerbated by damage to two of the barrage’s 54 flood gates, critical for managing water flow from the Ravi River.

The IAF deployed helicopters to evacuate the officials, who were attempting to open the barrage’s gates amid a water flow that peaked at 200,000 cusecs on August 26 but dropped to 62,000 cusecs by Wednesday. “Our teams are on-site, and we have informed everyone downstream to aid in the search for the missing officer,” Uppal said. The Madhopur Headworks, operational since 1959, faced significant strain as the Ravi, Ujh, and Jalalian rivers surged due to excess water releases from the Ranjit Sagar Dam.

Villages in Narot Jaimal Singh and Bamial blocks were heavily inundated, with large swathes of farmland submerged. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), supported by the Army, conducted evacuation operations in Sujanpur, Atepur, and Baheri, relocating residents to two relief camps at Satsang Beas Centre and Gosaipur. Uppal noted that water levels in Sujanpur city began receding by Wednesday morning, offering some relief.

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The flooding, part of a broader regional crisis linked to record rainfall (380 mm in Jammu), mirrors the devastation seen in Jammu and Kashmir, where 36 died in landslides and floods. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s deployment of a state helicopter in Gurdaspur complements the IAF’s efforts, highlighting coordinated disaster response. Uppal urged calm, directing residents to contact control rooms for assistance. The incident underscores the need for resilient infrastructure, akin to advancements like Vizhinjam Port, to mitigate climate-driven disasters.

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