Floods in Punjab: Over 22,000 Evacuated as Casualties Rise

Current Situation of Flooding in Punjab

Punjab's Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster Management Minister, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian, reported that in the last 24 hours, 48 additional villages have been impacted, affecting a population of 2,691 and damaging 2,131 hectares of crops. To date, a total of 1,996 villages across 22 districts have been affected, impacting 387,013 individuals.

In Jalandhar, 19 villages were reported affected, alongside 13 in Ludhiana, 6 in Ferozepur, 5 in Amritsar, 4 in Hoshiarpur, and 1 in Fazilka during this timeframe.

Regarding evacuation efforts, the Minister noted that 925 individuals were rescued in the past day, bringing the total number of evacuees to 22,854. The highest evacuation numbers were recorded in Gurdaspur (5,581), Fazilka (4,202), Ferozepur (3,888), Amritsar (3,260), Hoshiarpur (1,616), Pathankot (1,139), and Kapurthala (1,428).

Relief Camps and Casualties

Currently, 139 relief camps are operational across the state, providing shelter to 6,121 affected individuals. Since the floods began, a total of 219 camps have been set up in various districts. Notably, Fazilka has 14 camps housing 2,588 people, Barnala has 49 camps with 527 individuals, Hoshiarpur has 4 camps accommodating 921 people, Rupnagar has 5 camps for 250 individuals, Moga has 3 camps for 155 people, and Mansa has 2 camps for 89 individuals.

The floods have tragically claimed three more lives in Amritsar and Rupnagar over the past day, raising the total death toll to 46 across 14 districts, with three individuals still missing in Pathankot.

Impact on Agriculture and Ongoing Operations

S. Mundian highlighted the agricultural impact, noting that the recent crop damage of 2,131 hectares has pushed the total affected area to over 174,000 hectares across 18 districts. The districts most severely impacted include Gurdaspur (40,169 hectares), Fazilka (18,649 hectares), Ferozepur (17,257 hectares), Kapurthala (17,574 hectares), Hoshiarpur (8,322 hectares), Sangrur (6,560 hectares), Tarn Taran (12,828 hectares), and SAS Nagar (2,000 hectares).

Expressing gratitude to the armed forces for their support during this crisis, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian mentioned that 23 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in rescue operations across various districts, while 2 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are active in Kapurthala.

Additionally, 27 Army columns and 7 Engineer Task Forces are deployed in the affected areas. The Indian Air Force and Army have dispatched nine helicopters for relief efforts, and the Border Security Force (BSF) is assisting in the Ferozepur sector. A total of 158 boats and one state helicopter are also involved in ongoing rescue and relief operations.