Punjab floods: Toll climbs to 55 with 2 more deaths

As the floodwaters of Punjab slowly begin to recede, the state grapples with the rising human cost, with the death toll reaching 55, even as relief teams race against time to stave off disease and aid the stranded.

Punjab revenue minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said 111 relief camps are housing 4,585 people, while 23,337 residents have been evacuated from affected areas. The floods have impacted 2,214 villages and 3,88,508 people, with crops on 1,92,380 hectares damaged across 18 districts.

Eight NDRF teams, two SDRF teams, 14 army columns, and two Engineer Task Forces are deployed in the affected regions. Fogging machines and regular medical camps are helping prevent the spread of malaria and other diseases, while veterinary teams are treating and vaccinating livestock.

Education minister Harjot Singh Bains reviewed flood damage in Rupnagar and reported that a special loss assessment (‘girdawari’) has been completed in 50 per cent of affected areas. All rural roads have been cleared to ensure connectivity, and relief operations are ongoing at full pace.

Health minister Balbir Singh visited flood-hit villages in Gurdaspur, distributing Rs 50,000 cheques to affected families. Social security minister Baljit Kaur provided immediate financial aid to families in Malout, while cabinet ministers Laljit Singh Bhullar and Lal Chand Kataruchak distributed fodder and relief materials, including mattresses, cots, mosquito nets, and gas cylinders, to affected households.

Water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal noted that water levels in the Ghaggar river near Tohana bridge at Makraur Sahib and Moonak have started receding, providing some relief to residents.

Rural development and panchayats minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond urged local panchayats to assist in relief and rehabilitation, including clearing silt and animal carcasses and repairing damaged infrastructure. He also called on panchayats to contribute a portion of their fixed deposits received as land acquisition compensation toward these efforts.

With PTI inputs