Chandigarh, September 2: Punjab is reeling under one of the most severe floods in decades, with 30 deaths reported and more than 3.54 lakh people across 23 districts directly affected, Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said on Monday.
“The state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is making every possible effort to provide relief, carry out evacuations and rehabilitate families hit by the disaster,” the minister noted.
According to Mundian, 19,597 people have so far been rescued from low-lying and inundated areas. Large-scale evacuations were carried out in Gurdaspur (5,581 persons), Ferozepur (3,432), Amritsar (2,734), Fazilka (2,422), Hoshiarpur (1,615), Kapurthala (1,428) and Pathankot (1,139). Evacuations were also reported from other districts including Barnala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar, Mansa, Moga and Tarn Taran.
To shelter displaced families, 174 relief camps have been set up statewide. These include 29 in Barnala, 26 in Patiala, 25 in Gurdaspur, 20 in Hoshiarpur and 16 in Amritsar. At present, 5,167 people are housed in these facilities, with the highest occupancy in Fazilka (1,304), Hoshiarpur (1,041), Ferozepur (706) and Gurdaspur (424). Camps in Amritsar, Barnala, Jalandhar, Mansa, Moga, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Pathankot and Rupnagar are also providing shelter.
The minister said that 1,400 villages have been inundated, with Gurdaspur (324 villages), Amritsar (135), Hoshiarpur (119), Kapurthala (115) and Mansa (108) among the hardest hit. Other affected districts include Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran, besides several others reporting smaller but significant damage.
A total of 3,54,626 people have been impacted, Mundian added. Among the worst-hit areas, Gurdaspur accounts for 1.45 lakh people, Amritsar 1.17 lakh, Ferozepur 38,112 and Fazilka 21,562. Pathankot (15,053), Kapurthala (5,748), SAS Nagar (7,000), Hoshiarpur (1,960) and Jalandhar (991) were also heavily affected, while smaller populations suffered in Barnala, Moga, Rupnagar and Mansa.
The minister pointed out that crops on 1,48,590 hectares have been destroyed. “The most severely affected areas include Gurdaspur with more than 40,000 hectares lost, Mansa with 27,291 hectares and Amritsar with 23,000 hectares,” he said. Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur and several other districts also reported widespread crop damage.
On rescue operations, Mundian informed that 23 National Disaster Response Force teams are stationed in affected districts, including six each in Gurdaspur and Amritsar, three each in Ferozepur and Fazilka, and others in Pathankot, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Rupnagar. The Army, Air Force and Navy have deployed 12 columns with eight on standby, supported by two engineer columns and nearly 35 helicopters. The BSF is assisting in border districts, while 114 boats and a state helicopter are being used for rescue and relief supply missions.
From August 1 to September 2, Punjab has reported 30 deaths across 12 districts, with Pathankot recording the highest toll of six. “Three persons remain missing in Pathankot. The full extent of livestock and infrastructure loss will only be clear once the floodwaters recede, but preliminary reports suggest severe damage,” Mundian said.
