Punjab Floods Claim 43 Lives, Submerge 1902 Villages

The floods in Punjab have claimed the lives of 43 people so far, while over 355,000 have been affected.

Punjab is currently grappling with its worst flood disaster in decades. Heavy rainfall and water inflow from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have caused the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers to swell, submerging 1902 villages across 23 districts of the state. This natural calamity has claimed 43 lives so far, affecting over 3.55 lakh people. The floods have devastated 1.71 lakh hectares of agricultural land, causing significant losses to farmers.

Worst Affected Districts

Gurdaspur district is the worst affected, with 324 villages inundated. Amritsar (135 villages), Hoshiarpur (119 villages), Kapurthala (115 villages), Firozpur (76 villages), and Fazilka (72 villages) have also suffered extensive damage. Districts like Barnala, Mansa, Patiala, and Jalandhar have also experienced flood damage to fields, homes, and infrastructure.

Casualties and Relief Efforts

The Punjab government has declared the state a disaster-affected area. An elderly couple died in Barnala after their house collapsed. Six deaths were reported in Pathankot, and three each in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Mansa, Rupnagar, and Barnala. The army, air force, NDRF, BSF, and local administration are involved in relief and rescue operations. So far, 19,597 people have been moved to safer locations, including 5,581 in Gurdaspur and 3,432 in Firozpur. 174 relief camps have been set up in the state, of which 74 are active.

Over 1 Lakh Acres of Crops Destroyed

The floods have submerged over 3.75 lakh acres of agricultural land, with paddy crops suffering the most significant damage. Over 1 lakh acres of crops have been destroyed in Gurdaspur, while 56,834 acres in Amritsar and 42,020 acres in Mansa have been affected. Livestock has also suffered heavy losses, endangering the livelihoods of rural families.

High Alert Issued

A high alert has been issued for villages near the Ghaggar River in Patiala's Patra area. The Punjab government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions until 7 September. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has visited the affected areas and appealed to the central government for assistance. Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit the flood-affected areas on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spoken to CM Mann and assured all possible assistance.