Recently sown paddy crop has been destructed in around 4 days of flood fury in some regions of Haryana and Punjab, the states, which are the largest food grain contributors to the national kitty.

Thus far, 11 fatalities have been reported including six in Punjab and five in Haryana, with 4-5 people missing after being washed away in both states.

Heavy rain accompanied by breaches in rivers and irrigation canals in some regions of both states resulted in flooding since Tuesday.

The worst affected regions in Haryana include Ambala, Kurukshetra and Kaithal while in Punjab, Patiala and Sangrur districts have been affected.

The army has been called in flood-affected regions of the Kurukshetra, Ambala and Kaithal districts in Haryana. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) volunteers and boats are also assisting in rescue and relief operations.

Approximately 100,000 acres of agriculture land in about 250 villages in these regions has been affected by flood water. Regions where paddy and maize crops are grown have been affected owing to stagnant flood water.

Because of the breach in the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and heavy rains, Thanesar, Pehowa and Shahabad tehsils and Ismailabad and Babain sub-tehsils have been affected by the floods in Kurukshetra district.

The breach in the Ghaggar River that flows via Haryana and Punjab and is in spate, and the Hansi-Butana canal near the Haryana-Punjab border near Tatiana village in Kaithal district has caused flooding of several new villages.

Additional Principal Secretary (to Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda), Anuradha Gupta, who visited the flood-affected areas Thursday, said, "Army and other authorities are trying to plug the breach in the canals."

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal ordered that all schools in the district be shut till Friday.

The state administration has cancelled the leave of all government employees in Ambala, Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts and recalled them on duty to deal with the situation.

The state government and district authorities are facing criticism for not carrying out flood protection work in time to prevent flooding and also lacking in response after flooding took place.

Water and power supply has not been restored to most areas of the affected districts in Haryana even after four days.

Heavy rainfall and breaches washed away the National Highway (NH-65) between Ambala and Hisar cities in Haryana Thursday.

A state government representative stated that the NH-65 had been damaged at the 20-km point from Ambala near Naggal village.

Haryana's Director General of Police (DGP) Ranjeev Dalal Thursday appealed to people not to take the highway to and from Hisar.

Dalal said those wishing to go to Hisar (from Ambala) should go via Karnal, Nissing and Kaithal road.

The repair work had been entrusted to the army and the movement of vehicles on this road would be restored Friday evening, he added.

Train traffic on the busy Ambala-Delhi section has also been disrupted with the tracks sinking near Shahbad town, 65 km from here. Some trains on the affected route were diverted through Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

District authorities in Mansa, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Moga district have been put on high alert with rivers flowing at higher water levels.

Nearly 150 villages have been affected by flooding in Punjab's Patiala and Sangrur regions.

Standing paddy crop has been damaged extensively in parts of Punjab also. (With Inputs from Agencies)