At least 30 people have lost their lives, and over 3.5 lakh have been impacted by the flash floods in Punjab, according to a bulletin issued by the state authorities on Tuesday. Pathankot reported the highest number of deaths at six, followed by Ludhiana with four. Three individuals are reported missing in Pathankot.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government on Tuesday released financial assistance of Rs 5 crore to Punjab while expressing solidarity with the people of the state bearing the brunt of the calamity caused by heavy rains. The aid released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund is aimed at providing immediate succour to the affected families and to strengthen the ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini assured Punjab of all necessary help immediately, if required.
Additionally, all IPS officers of Punjab have resolved to contribute one day’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Employees of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will also be donating a day’s salary to support flood relief efforts. SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said the Sikh body has been actively engaged in relief operations since the first day.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss the worsening situation and assured all help and support as Punjab is battling the “worst floods in recent history.”
The state of Punjab is facing massive floods triggered by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy downpour in their catchment areas. Earlier, 12 districts were under the impact of the floods, but today, all 23 districts of the state have been declared as hit by the floods. A total of 1,400 villages have been declared as affected, impacting 3,54,626 people so far. Nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit areas.
Between August 1 and September 2, floods caused damage in 23 districts, affecting 1,400 villages and over 3.5 lakh people. Gurdaspur is the worst-hit, with 324 villages affected, followed by Amritsar (135 villages) and Hoshiarpur (119 villages). Floods have damaged 1,48,590 hectares of crops, severely impacting the state's agricultural sector.
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann separately visited some of the affected areas on Tuesday. Visiting flood-affected villages in Ferozepur district, a visibly emotional Mann said Punjab has always stood with the country in times of crisis and hoped that the country would reciprocate now. Expressing concern over the ”meagre compensation” given to people for losses suffered due to natural disasters, he sought an upward revision in the Centre’s relief norms. The Chief Minister toured the flood-affected areas of Ferozepur on a boat.
Kataria visited Ferozepur and Tarn Taran, held a meeting with administration officials in Ferozepur, and directed them to ensure timely assistance and effective coordination.
Rescue and relief operations are in full swing, with 19,597 people evacuated across the affected areas. In Gurdaspur, 5,581 people have been evacuated followed by Ferozepur (3,432) and Amritsar (2,734). A total of 174 relief camps have been set up, with 74 currently active, including 29 in Barnala, 16 in Amritsar, and 14 in Pathankot.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 23 teams across districts, with six teams each in Gurdaspur and Amritsar, and three each in Ferozepur and Fazilka. The Indian Air Force, Navy, and Army have mobilised 12 columns, with eight on standby and two engineer columns deployed. Additionally, 30-35 helicopters are assisting in rescue and relief efforts.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also on the ground, with two SDRF teams in Kapurthala and one BSF team in Gurdaspur. A total of 114 boats and one state helicopter are aiding operations.
Heavy rain, coupled with the release of water from dams in the region, has caused extensive flooding in more than 10 districts of the state. The worst-hit districts include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar. Relief and rescue efforts by the NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities continued on a war footing.
According to the weather department, several places in Punjab received rain in the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Tuesday. Among other places, Amritsar received 18.3 mm rain, Patiala 70.5 mm, Bathinda 5 mm, Faridkot 1 mm, Gurdaspur 32.8 mm, Mansa 10 mm and Mohali 44.5 mm. Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, a few parts of the state witnessed rain, including Ferozepur, Mansa, Pathankot and Sri Anandpur Sahib.
In view of the inclement weather conditions and prevailing flood-like situations, all 43 skill development centres running in association with the Punjab Skill Development Mission will remain closed till Wednesday, minister Aman Arora said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government also announced closure of all colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes till September 3.
With inputs from agencies
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