- Floods in Punjab have claimed 29 lives so far, with Pathankot district recording the highest toll
- The Punjab government announced closure of all colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes till September 3 in the wake of continuous rainfall across the state.
- PM Modi spoke to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and inquired about the situation and assured the state of all necessary support.
Severe floods in Punjab have claimed 29 lives so far, with Pathankot district recording the highest toll, officials confirmed on Monday. More than 2.56 lakh residents across the state have been affected as torrential rains continue to disrupt daily life.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China, spoke to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday evening. He inquired about the situation and assured the state of all necessary support. “Immediately after landing in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi called Chief Minister Mann to discuss the flooding. He assured full assistance to Punjab,” an official said.
At the same time, political tensions have emerged over the Centre’s response. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the Union government of neglecting the state during its crisis. He criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not providing assurance on either the pending Rs 60,000 crore dues of Punjab or an immediate relief package, despite Mann’s appeal.
Shah, however, spoke separately to both Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Mann to take stock of the unfolding situation.
With large-scale displacement and damage to infrastructure, state authorities continue to press for urgent central aid to support relief and rehabilitation measures.
AAP MP from Sangrur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, too demanded that Punjab be given Rs 20,000 crore as immediate interim relief to be followed by a a larger relief package after a comprehensive assessment of the total loss.
The Punjab government on Monday announced closure of all colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes till September 3 in the wake of continuous rainfall across the state.
Widespread rain has further deepened the flood crisis, raising fear of inundating more villages and damaging crops in the low-lying areas.
Mann on Monday visited the flood-hit areas in Hoshiarpur and said every effort will be made to bail people out in this hour of crisis as the state battles the "worst floods in recent history".
Twelve out of 23 districts in the state have been hit in the one month starting August 1, in what the state government called one of the worst flood disasters to hit Punjab in decades, an official bulletin said.
The floods have been caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The flood situation worsened due to heavy rainfall in many parts of the state.
According to the bulletin, of the 29 casualties, the maximum -- six -- have been reported from Pathankot district.
Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa and Rupnagar districts reported three deaths each, while Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur saw one death each, the bulletin said.
Three people are missing in Pathankot, it added.
So far, 15,688 people have been evacuated to safer places across the state.
The district-wise break-up shows 5,549 people have been rescued in Gurdaspur, 3,321 in Ferozepur, 2,049 in Fazilka, 1,700 in Amritsar, 1,139 in Pathankot, 1,052 in Hoshiarpur, 515 in Kapurthala, 163 in Mansa, 115 in Moga, 60 in Tarn Taran, while 25 persons have been rescued in Barnala district, the bulletin said.
The floods have impacted 1,044 villages, including 321 in Gurdaspur, 88 in Amritsar, 24 in Barnala, 72 in Fazilka, 76 in Ferozepur, 94 in Hoshiarpur, 55 in Jalandhar, 115 in Kapurthala, 77 in Mansa, 39 in Moga, 82 in Pathankot and one in SAS Nagar, according to the bulletin.
A total of 2,56,107 people have been affected by the floods, with Amritsar (35,000) leading the chart, followed by Ferozepur (24,015), Fazilka (21,562), Pathankot (15,053) Gurdaspur (14,500), Hoshiarpur (1,152), SAS Nagar (7,000), Kapurthala (5,650), Moga (800), Jalandhar (653), Mansa (163), and Barnala (59).
According to the bulletin, a huge loss of livestock has been reported from the affected villages, though the exact figures can be determined once the floodwater recedes, the bulletin said.
Similarly, the damages related to infrastructure will be ascertained after the water recedes.
A total of 96,061 hectares of farmland has been impacted by the floods in several districts, the bulletin said.
The severely-impacted districts include Amritsar (23,000 hectares), Mansa (17,005 hectares), Kapurthala (14,934 hectares), Tarn Taran (11,883 hectares), Ferozepur (11,232 hectares), Hoshiarpur (5,971 hectares), Jalandhar (2,800 hectares) and Pathankot (2,442 hectares).
Currently, a total of 7,144 persons are housed in relief camps across the state.
The highest numbers have been reported from Ferozepur (3,987), Fazilka (1,201), Hoshiarpur (478), Pathankot (411), Gurdaspur (424), Amritsar (170), Mansa (163), Moga (115), Kapurthala (110), Sangrur (60) and Barnala (25).
A total of 20 teams from the NDRF are working in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Bathinda districts, the bulletin said.
The Air Force and the Army deployed 10 columns with right on standby, along with two engineer columns. Besides this, around 35 helicopters of the Air Force and the Army have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.
BSF units are deployed on the ground to provide additional support, officials said.
A total of 114 boats have been deployed for rescue operations, along with one state helicopter to support evacuation and relief efforts.
To handle any health-related exigency arising from the floods, 138 newly-recruited medical officers have been deployed in the worst-hit districts, officials said.
- With inputs from PTI.
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