Punjab: At least 29 people have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced as Punjab battles what officials describe as the “worst floods in recent history.”
Triggered by incessant rainfall and the release of water from dams, more than 10 districts have been inundated. Punjab recorded 253.7 mm of rainfall in August, 74% above normal and the highest in 25 years. Mann has warned that the situation could deteriorate further in the coming days.
Over 1,300 villages across the state are under water, forcing 6,582 people to take shelter in 122 relief camps. Districts including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar are among the worst affected. The Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, swollen by heavy rainfall in the hill states, have spilled over, with the Ravi expanding to more than ten times its width in some stretches. Vast swathes of farmland, houses and entire villages lie submerged.
Rescue operations are being carried out by the NDRF, the Army, the BSF and local authorities, who have evacuated nearly 15,000 people. Drones are being used to drop dry rations, milk powder and drinking water to areas cut off by floods, particularly in Ajnala. In Hoshiarpur, where water entered homes in several villages, many families have chosen to live in tractor-trolleys near their land and livestock rather than move into relief camps.
During a visit to flood-hit Hoshiarpur, Mann described the calamity as the state’s worst in recent memory, promising that every effort would be made to help those affected. He has also written to the Prime Minister seeking the release of Rs 60,000 crore in pending state funds to support relief and rehabilitation.
The floods have also triggered political sparring. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the government of India of indifference, criticising Home Minister Amit Shah for not announcing a relief package. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, urged the government to act in “mission mode” and extend immediate support to farmers, labourers, livestock owners and ordinary citizens.
The devastation has revived memories of the catastrophic floods of 1988, when swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers claimed more than 500 lives. Now, districts such as Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Jalandhar and Ropar are struggling to recover from the destruction.
