Flood fury in Punjab: Death toll climbs to 29, over 2.56 lakh affected

Chandigarh: At least 29 people have died and more than 2.56 lakh residents have been impacted by the devastating floods in Punjab, with Pathankot reporting the highest number of casualties, officials said on Monday. The Punjab government has ordered the closure of all colleges, universities, and polytechnic institutes till September 3 as heavy rains continue to batter the state, raising fears of further crop damage and inundation of low-lying villages.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after returning from the SCO Summit in China and assured him of full support from the Centre, an official said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also contacted Mann and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to review the situation.

Meanwhile, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the Centre of ignoring Punjab’s plight, saying Shah had not committed to releasing the pending ₹60,000 crore or any relief package. AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer demanded ₹20,000 crore as immediate assistance.

Chief Minister Mann, during a visit to flood-hit Hoshiarpur, described the disaster as Punjab’s “worst floods in recent history” and pledged all-out efforts to help affected residents.

According to an official bulletin, 12 of the state’s 23 districts have been hit since August 1. The floods were triggered by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, swelling the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets.

Casualties include six deaths in Pathankot, three each in Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa and Rupnagar, and one each in Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur. Three people are missing in Pathankot.

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), reported PTI.

So far, 15,688 people have been evacuated to safer places, with the largest numbers in Gurdaspur (5,549), Ferozepur (3,321) and Fazilka (2,049). Floodwaters have inundated 1,044 villages across the state.

The deluge has damaged 96,061 hectares of farmland, with Amritsar, Mansa and Kapurthala among the worst-affected districts. A significant loss of livestock has also been reported, though exact figures are yet to be assessed.

Currently, 7,144 people are staying in relief camps, most of them in Ferozepur and Fazilka. Rescue and relief efforts are being carried out by 20 NDRF teams, the Army, Air Force, BSF, and state agencies. Over 114 boats and 35 helicopters have been deployed, along with two Army engineer columns.

To tackle health emergencies, 138 newly-recruited medical officers have been posted in the worst-hit areas, officials added.