Punjab is facing one of the most widespread and severe floods in recent decades. It has claimed 30 human lives and has left over 3.54 lakh people affected. Standing crops in more than 1 lakh 48 thousand hectares of area have been damaged across the state. Hundreds of livestock have also been killed due to drowning.
The misery is likely to increase further as Deputy Commissioners in various comparatively less affected districts have started issuing warnings to those living near the banks of Satluj, Raavi and Beas Rivers and it’s tributaries, appealing to them to reach to relief camps. The weather department has issued an Orange warning for today of heavy to very heavy rain at some places, including those already severely affected.
The incessant rain in most parts of Punjab, overflowing rivers and controlled release of water from the reservoirs of dams have now affected all the 23 districts of the state. With 1 lakh 45,000 people affected, Gurdaspur is the worst-impacted district due to flood, followed by Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Pathankot and inundating standing crops in thousands of hectares of land in these and Mansa, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts.
Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister, Hardeep Singh Mundian, has ensured every possible effort for timely relief, large-scale evacuation and rehabilitation of families as thousands are being evacuated. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has extended a helping hand and has said that his state is standing with Punjab in this hour of crisis.
