Rains flood Ambala, Kurukshetra; Army called in

Chandigarh: The Army was requisitioned in Haryana's Ambala and Kurukshetra districts after major breaches in rivers and canals led to flooding of vast areas, disrupting traffic and electricity supply.

Four people were killed in rain-related incidents.

Heavy rain led to water overflowing in the Ghaggar river and the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, causing breaches. Ambala city and cantonment areas, some 45 km from here, were under three-four feet of water at many places, said Deputy Commissioner of Ambala S.P. Srow.

Many arterial roads in the region were also waterlogged, leading to traffic jams. The national highway connecting Chandigarh and New Delhi was under water near Lalru town in Punjab and at Shahabad town in Haryana.

Heavy rains also affected air traffic and most flights at Chandigarh airport were delayed.

The Delhi-Chandigarh-Kalka Shatabdi train that is scheduled to reach Chandigarh at 11 a.m. was nearly eight hours late Tuesday. The evening Shatabdi, which leaves Delhi at 5.15 p.m., started two hours late and was stopped at Panipat. After a halt, passengers were told it would return to Delhi due to floods in Ambala, officials said.

Almost all trains touching Ambala had to be cancelled, a railway official said in New Delhi.

Electricity supply was affected in nearly 350 villages in Ambala district as a number of sub-stations were submerged, district administration officials said, adding that pumps were being used to drain out rainwater.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda directed authorities to launch rescue operations in the affected areas, especially in Ambala and Kurukshetra.

Several places in Punjab and Haryana received heavy rainfall since Monday, inundating many areas. Roads and rail services were also badly hit.

Srow said there was a breach in river Tangri in Jadhpur sub-division in neighbouring Punjab and river Ghaggar was also posing a threat.

Pankaj Aggarwal, deputy commissioner of Kurukshetra, said the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal had breached near Jyotisar in the district and the low-lying areas of Shahbad town, 65 km from here.

Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati said she was in constant touch with her Punjab counterpart S.C. Aggarwal to expedite relief operations.