Punjab CM seeks Rs 60,000 cr relief from Centre as flood situation worsens
text_fields
Out of 23 districts in Punjab, 22 have been impacted so far as the flood situation in the state has significantly worsened due to continuous heavy rainfall, leading to the swelling of major rivers such as the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, and Ghaggar.
According to officials, 1,312 villages are affected, nearly three lakh acres of standing crops are submerged, and 26 people have lost their lives.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the release of ₹60,000 crore in pending state funds from the Union Government to aid relief efforts.
Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian confirmed the widespread impact, stating that the affected villages include 93 in Amritsar, 26 in Barnala, 21 in Bathinda, 1 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 92 in Fazilka, 107 in Ferozepur, 324 in Gurdaspur, 86 in Hoshiarpur, 55 in Jalandhar, 123 in Kapurthala, 26 in Ludhiana, 4 in Malerkotla, 77 in Mansa, 35 in Moga, 81 in Pathankot, 14 in Patiala, 2 in Rupnagar, 22 in Sangrur, 1 in SAS Nagar, 3 in SBS Nagar, 74 in Muktsar, and 45 in Tarn Taran, TNIE reported.
Emergency response teams from various agencies, including the state administration, NDRF, SDRF, the Army, and Punjab Police, are working tirelessly to safeguard lives and property amid the worsening flood situation.
After inspecting flood-hit villages along the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district, Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Anurag Verma reported that nearly three lakh acres of land have been affected and around 1.25 lakh people are impacted.
The government has ordered a special girdawari (crop damage assessment) to ensure compensation for affected farmers. District authorities have been instructed to collect accurate data on losses, and compensation will be provided according to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s directives.
Right now, six NDRF teams are deployed in Gurdaspur and one each in Fazilka, Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Amritsar. Two SDRF teams are operational in Kapurthala. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are extending support in Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Pathankot, while BSF units are assisting in Gurdaspur and Ferozepur. Punjab Police and the Fire Brigade are actively helping in Kapurthala and Ferozepur as well.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with 15 boats deployed in Kapurthala, 12 in Ferozepur, and 4 in Pathankot. Aerial evacuations have also been carried out where necessary.
So far, 26 people have lost their lives due to the floods, including an irrigation department employee who fell into the Ravi River last week while attempting to open floodgates at the Madhopur barrage.
Authorities have also reported that the Ghaggar River is overflowing due to excess inflow from the Markanda and Tangri rivers. Water levels at Chika (Haryana), Khanauri (Sangrur), and Sardulgarh (Mansa) remain high, though still below the danger mark.