PM Modi to visit flood-hit Punjab on Sep 9

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit flood-hit Punjab on Tuesday to take stock of the situation in the state.

It is learnt that after visiting Punjab, he will travel to neighbouring disaster-hit Himachal Pradesh to review and assess the situation.

Responding to the visit, state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said that Prime Minister Modi “is deeply concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and is closely monitoring it”.

“He is visiting Punjab on September 9 to personally assess the local conditions and understand the ground realities to provide maximum assistance to the people of Punjab”.

Earlier, Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Chauhan was sent to evaluate the situation.

“Two central government teams, which visited to assess the damage caused by the floods in Punjab, are set to submit their reports to the central government after their tour. The Government of India stands firmly with the people of Punjab,” Jakhar wrote on X.

It is learnt that the PM, after casting his vote in the September 9 vice-presidential election in Delhi, is likely to land at Amritsar on Tuesday afternoon, and there he will hold a review meeting with state ministers and officials.

The state government has estimated a loss of Rs 13,289 crore due to the floods. The figure was presented by the government to members of two Central inter-ministerial teams that have been touring Punjab to assess the damage.

Punjab Revenue Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said 1996 villages across 22 districts have been impacted, affecting a population of 387,013. A total of 22,854 people have been rescued. The highest number of evacuations has been carried out in Gurdaspur district (5,581), followed by Fazilka (4,202), Ferozepur (3,888), Amritsar (3,260), Hoshiarpur (1,616), Pathankot (1,139), and Kapurthala (1,428).

Meanwhile, two teams of the Union Home Ministry will arrive in Himachal Pradesh to assess the damage in Chamba and Kullu districts that faced severe devastation caused by incessant rainfall, which has claimed lives and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Both teams will be on tour till September 10, and they will assess the damage and submit a report to the Home Ministry, a senior state government functionary told IANS.

The state government has pegged a loss of Rs 3,959 crore.

Till now, the spells of rain have continued during the monsoon, and the figure of damage is increasing in all 12 districts of the state.

The Indian Air Force was deployed for rescue operations of the Manimahesh Yatra to assist stranded pilgrims.

The Congress government in the state has been demanding a special relief package from the Central government. In June, 31 people died in the Seraj assembly constituency of Mandi district and road connectivity to all places was cut off. After that, Kullu, Kangra, Mandi and now Chamba district were badly impacted. Till date, the death toll is 366.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reported that 869 roads remain blocked, while 1,572 power supply lines and 389 water supply schemes have been disrupted.

During the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, the government passed a resolution to declare the state a national disaster-hit state in view of the unprecedented disaster situation.

In 2023, Himachal Pradesh suffered a loss of more than Rs 10,000 crore due to natural disasters. In 2024, too, Shimla and Kullu districts bore the brunt of natural calamity.

–IANS

vg/vd