Punjab declares all 23 districts flood-hit: Farmers along Beas, Ravi rivers offer land for embankments

On Tuesday, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann separately visited some of the worst-affected areas to take stock of the situation.

The Punjab government on Tuesday declared all 23 districts of the state as flood-hit, confirming that the disaster has so far claimed 30 lives and affected more than 3.5 lakh people. With dam reservoirs filled to the brim and rivers flowing dangerously close to the red mark, authorities have issued alerts in several regions.

Meanwhile, farmers along Punjab's Beas and Ravi rivers have offered to sell a portion of their land to the government for the construction of permanent embankments after repeated crop destruction from annual floods, The Times of India reported.

The proposal has been put forward after temporary earthen embankments, locally called ‘dhussi bundhs’, gave way, allowing floodwaters to rise as high as 15 feet and wiping out entire stretches of paddy fields. The disaster has struck farmers at a time when they have yet not recovered from the damage caused by the 2023 floods.

On Tuesday, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann separately visited some of the worst-affected areas to take stock of the situation. Mann toured the flood-affected areas of Ferozepur on a boat; Kataria visited Ferozepur and the severely affected areas of Tarn Taran.

Expressing strong concern over the losses suffered by people, Mann said that the compensation currently provided under central norms is far too low. He demanded that the Centre increase the relief amount and also release Punjab’s long-pending funds worth Rs 60,000 crore. Stressing that his appeal was not “begging,” he said Punjab was only asking for its rightful share, especially at a time when floods have devastated the state.

ਅੱਜ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਫਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਦੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਗੱਟੀ ਰਾਜੋ ਕੇ ਵਿਖੇ ਕਿਸ਼ਤੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਹੜ੍ਹ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵਿਤ ਇਲਾਕਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਦੌਰਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਦਾ ਜਾਇਜ਼ਾ ਲਿਆ। ਸਥਾਨਕ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੌਸਲਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ।

ਹੜ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਾਰਨ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਹਰ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਲਈ ਢੁਕਵਾਂ ਮੁਆਵਜ਼ਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਭਵਿੱਖ 'ਚ ਅਜਿਹੀ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਨਜਿੱਠਣ… pic.twitter.com/rcmlMBK0M1

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) September 2, 2025

Meanwhile, Governor Kataria backed farmers’ long-standing demand for permanent ownership rights over land so that they can claim crop-loss compensation and avail benefits of government schemes. He assured that the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister for a long-term resolution.

Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said the scale of the disaster has widened, with all 23 districts now affected, compared to just 12 earlier. He added that nearly 1,400 villages and more than 3.54 lakh people have been impacted. So far, around 20,000 people have been evacuated from submerged areas, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The minister highlighted that standing crops spread across 1,48,590 hectares have been badly damaged. Districts such as Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Mansa, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, and Hoshiarpur are among the worst affected.

To tackle the situation, 23 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on the ground, while the Army, Air Force, and Navy have deployed 12 columns, two engineering units, and about 35 helicopters for rescue and relief. The Border Security Force (BSF) is also providing assistance in border regions. In total, 114 boats and one state helicopter are being used to evacuate people and deliver relief material.

Health Minister Balbir Singh added that 818 medical teams have been deployed to flood-hit districts. “Our goal is to ensure no person is left without medical care,” he said.