YAMUNANAGAR: Heavy overnight rains and rising water level in the Yamuna are hampering rescue operation to take out the 52 villagers, who are stranded on a tract of land in Lapra village here due to floods triggered by heavy rains.

The Army and National Disaster Management Authority personnel are already assisting the civil administration and the help of Air Force has also been requested, official sources said.

The rains had led to an alarming increase in the water level of Yamuna, even as a record over 8 lakh cusecs water was flowing through the Hathni Kund barrage, prompting the authorities to sound a high alert in the neighbouring districts of Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat.

The villagers, who used to cultivate musk melons and water melons on that piece of land, got trapped as the water level of river Yamuna rose menacingly.

