CHANDIGRH:  The army has moved out to rescue the people of the flood affect areas of Punjab and started massive rescue operation,  so far shifting more than 500 families out of the flood to safer places.

The reports said tjhat due to unusually heavy rains in Punjab in the last few days the water level in River Sutluj and other rivers rose well above the danger level and there were number of breaches in the anti flood bunds astride River Sutluj in Jalandhar, Moga and Ferozepur Districts, an official release stated here on Monday.

The civil administration requisitioned the assistance of the Army for flood relief operations and accordingly Army columns of Vajra Corps located at Jalandhar, Ferozepur and Kapurthala were immediately dispatched to the affected areas, release stated adding that a total of 11 columns have been mobilized for the flood relief and are deployed in the districts of Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Moga and Ferozepur.

For the last 72 hours the Army columns were continuously bringing relief and succor to the marooned civilians and Army has pressed 33 motorboats and 22 medical teams into service, it claimed adding that so far close to eighteen hundred civilians including women and children have been rescued and brought to safe places.

Around fifty thousand sandbags have been utilized to prevent further breaching of the bunds.

Prior to the onset of monsoons, the army gears up for flood relief eventualities in which columns are earmarked, equipment is tested and close liaison with civil administration is carried out and joint control rooms are established to insure prompt response by army, release added.