In Punjab, 125 personnel of National Disaster Management Force have started rescue operations today on war footing in flood hit areas of Patiala district. 25 special boats are being used to bring out the people out of the affected villages at four places.108 villages of Patiala district have been hard hit. Crops in thousands of acres of land have submerged in water. District officers with medical teams are camping in the flood hit areas. Central Water Commission team is also visiting the area today to review the situation. <br/><br/>Irrigation Minister of Punjab is also camping in Patiala to supervise the rescue operations. These floods in Patiala district have occurred due to breaches in SYL ,Hansi -Butana canal of Hariana and Ghaggar river because all the natural courses of water had been blocked. In Ludhiana district 115 villages of Smrala and Machhiwara area are under water due to breach in Sirhind canal. Standing crops in 25 thousand acres of land have submerged in this area. <br/><br/>About 115 villages of Fatehgarh Sahib District are also under flood threat. Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal visited the flood hit area and ordered special assessment (girdawari) to compensate the farmers. He had ordered the Chief Secretary of the state to get all the encroachments cleared from the river beds near canals, seasonal rivulets and natural courses of water. According to official sources water may recede today as there are no rains since yesterday and inflow of water has also decreased.<br/>