Patiala/Sangrur, Sept. 2 -- Following continuous rainfall in the catchment areas and the opening of Sukhna Lake floodgates, the Ghaggar river swelled and inundated fields in the villages of Ghanaur and Rajpura blocks of Patiala district. Sangrur, downstream of the river, has also been put on flood alert. With more rain in the catchment areas, the river is very likely to swell, officials said. Since Monday morning, the water level in the Ghaggar in Patiala has risen by 4feet, and currently, it is flowing 13 feet, just 3ft below the danger mark. In Sangrur, the water level was recorded at 746.9 feet on Monday evening, just 1.1 feet below the danger level. The Ghaggar is largely fed by rain in the hills and breaks banks every monsoon, wreaking havoc downstream in Punjab. The river, often referred to as Malwa's "river of sorrow" due to its repeated flooding and devastation, remains almost dry for most of the year. The Patiala district administration said that they would get a 10 to 12-hour window before the rising water reaches Patiala. The floodwater has already entered the fields and damaged the standing crops, with the worst-affected villages being Untsar, Kami Khurd, Lachru Kalan, Chamaru, Jhand Mangoli, and Sarala Khurd. So far, 1450 acres of agricultural land have already been affected by floods. "Our teams are on the ground checking water level," Patiala DC Preeti Yadav said. The Mansa and Moga district authorities have issued a flood advisory for several villages after a sharp surge in the Ghaggar and Sutlej on Monday. According to a report released by the state government on Monday, a total of 163 persons have been moved to flood relief camps in Mansa district, while the Moga administration has shifted 115 villagers to flood relief camps. Mansa DC Navjot Kaur said that the administration is keeping an eye on the flood situation and added that 19 relief camps have been set up in the three subdivisions. Moga DC Sagar Setia said that residents of Sanghera, Sherewala, and Bhabho Khurd are being evacuated to safer places....