Over the past month, the floods have unleashed havoc in Punjab. This disaster, which began on August 1, has thus far claimed 29 lives and impacted more than 2.56 lakh individuals. The state government has characterized it as the most severe flood crisis in decades.
According to news agency reports, the flood has claimed 29 lives across the state, with Pathankot district suffering the most with six fatalities. Districts like Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa, and Rupnagar have recorded three deaths each, while Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali, and Sangrur report one death per district. Furthermore, three individuals remain missing.
15,688 People Safely Evacuated
A total of 15,688 individuals have been relocated to safety, with the largest evacuations from Gurdaspur (5,549 people), Ferozepur (3,321), Fazilka (2,049), and Amritsar (1,700). Additionally, 1,139 people have been rescued from Pathankot, and 1,052 from Hoshiarpur.
The flood impacted 1,044 villages, including 321 in Gurdaspur, 88 in Amritsar, 72 in Fazilka, and 76 in Ferozepur, with Hoshiarpur and Pathankot listing 94 and 82 affected villages respectively. A total of 96,061 hectares of agricultural land is inundated.
Amritsar Most Affected
Amritsar bears the brunt with the highest number of affected individuals (35,000), followed by Ferozepur (24,015), Fazilka (21,562), and Pathankot (15,053). Torrential rains and inflows from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir catchment areas have swollen the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers.
NDRF has deployed 20 teams in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Bathinda for relief operations. The army, police, and local administration are actively involved in rescue efforts. However, precise assessments of damage to livestock and infrastructure will only be possible once the water recedes.
