Parts of Punjab are submerged in floodwaters, resulting in at least 30 fatalities. A significant portion of the state is grappling with the difficulties and damage caused by water inundating fields and homes.
Official figures indicate that the floods have severely impacted 23 districts in Punjab, affecting over 1,400 villages and more than 350,000 people. Pathankot has reported the highest number of deaths with six, followed by Ludhiana with four. Three individuals remain missing in Pathankot.
Amidst the devastation caused by the floods, a red alert has been issued for eight districts in Punjab due to heavy rainfall. The districts under red alert are Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Ludhiana.
Gurdaspur is the worst-affected district, with 324 villages submerged, followed by Amritsar (135 villages) and Hoshiarpur (119 villages). The floods have damaged 148,590 hectares of crops, severely impacting the state's agricultural sector.
Rescue and relief operations are underway, with 19,597 people evacuated from affected areas. Gurdaspur alone saw the evacuation of 5,581 people, followed by Firozpur (3,432) and Amritsar (2,734).
A total of 174 relief camps have been set up, with 74 currently active. These include 29 in Barnala, 16 in Amritsar, and 14 in Pathankot.
The NDRF has deployed 23 teams across various districts, including six each in Gurdaspur and Amritsar, and three each in Firozpur and Fazilka.
The Indian Air Force, Navy, and Army have deployed 12 units, including eight on standby and two engineer units. Additionally, 30-35 helicopters are assisting in rescue and relief efforts.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and SDRF are also deployed on the ground, with two SDRF teams in Kapurthala and one BSF team in Gurdaspur. A total of 114 boats and one government helicopter are assisting in the operations.
A local resident from Firozpur stated, “Our village is heavily flooded. Some people are still there, some have come here, while others are in camps set up elsewhere. Our livestock are here, and we are managing their food. The government is arranging rations and food for our animals.”
