New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Punjab’s Gurdaspur on September 9 to meet families and farmers devastated by the recent floods, among the worst the state has witnessed in decades. He will also review relief and rehabilitation efforts on the ground, officials confirmed.
According to a statement posted by the BJP’s Punjab unit on X, the Prime Minister “will meet directly with the flood-affected brothers, sisters and farmers to share their sorrow and take every possible step to help the victims.”
BJP Punjab President Sunil Jakhar stated that Modi has been “deeply concerned” about the crisis and has been closely monitoring the situation. He said the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit is aimed at understanding ground realities firsthand to ensure maximum assistance reaches affected communities.
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Centre’s Relief Measures
The Centre has already dispatched Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chauhan to Punjab to assess the situation. Two separate central teams have also toured flood-hit areas and are preparing detailed damage assessment reports for submission. Government sources emphasized that Punjab would not be left alone in its hour of crisis, highlighting commitments to both immediate and long-term recovery.
Officials indicated that Modi’s visit would focus on measures such as silt clearance from fields, disease control, and safe disposal of carcasses once floodwaters recede. He is also likely to stress the urgent need for repairing and strengthening embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers—structures weakened over years due to illegal mining and neglect.
Broader Recovery Plan
Sources said the Centre plans a comprehensive flood control and recovery strategy that includes short-, medium-, and long-term steps to restore farmers’ livelihoods and prevent future disasters. These initiatives will expand on earlier flood-control projects implemented during the Vajpayee-Badal era, now being reinforced by Modi’s updated disaster-preparedness frameworks.
Scale of the Crisis
According to state government data, relentless monsoon rains have submerged over 1,900 villages across 23 districts in Punjab, damaging nearly 1.71 lakh hectares of crops and leaving at least 43 people dead. Farmland remains underwater, rivers are above danger marks, and key roads and highways remain blocked.
The Prime Minister’s Punjab trip is part of a broader tour across northern states hit by catastrophic flooding. Himachal Pradesh alone has reported 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts, and more than 130 major landslides since June, leaving 355 people dead and causing estimated damages of nearly ₹3,800 crore. Several roads—including sections of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remain blocked due to landslides and flooding, keeping Kashmir cut off from the rest of the country.
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PM Modi’s visit on September 9 is expected to underscore the Centre’s message of solidarity with Punjab and other states facing unprecedented monsoon devastation.