The catastrophic floods ravaging Punjab have claimed 43 lives as of Thursday, with extensive damage to crops across 1.71 lakh hectares, according to official reports. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan toured flood-stricken regions in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala districts, pledging central government support to those impacted. Speaking to locals, including farmers, Chouhan acknowledged the visible devastation, with fields submerged and crops destroyed.
The Bhakra dam, nearing its maximum capacity of 1,680 feet, prompted the Rupnagar district administration to issue an urgent advisory for residents in low-lying areas near the Sutlej River to evacuate to safer locations. Similarly, the Patiala district administration warned villages along the Ghaggar River due to heavy rainfall in its catchment areas.
Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian reported that 1,902 villages across 23 districts have been affected, impacting over 3.84 lakh people. The death toll, which rose by six in the last 24 hours, includes seven fatalities in Hoshiarpur, six in Pathankot, five each in Barnala and Amritsar, four each in Ludhiana and Bathinda, three in Mansa, two each in Gurdaspur and SAS Nagar, and one each in Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, Fazilka, and Ferozepur. Three individuals remain missing in Pathankot.
Chouhan, accompanied by two central assessment teams, is evaluating the situation for a report to the Union government. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria provided a detailed flood report to Chouhan at Amritsar airport, highlighting severe damage to life, property, crops, and infrastructure. Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal visited flood-hit Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala and met with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh to discuss relief efforts, urging central assistance. The Punjab government has deployed gazetted officers to every marooned village to oversee rescue and relief operations.