Punjab floods: Relief efforts intensify as death count rises to 43, AAP MP commits Rs 5 crore support

Through his NGO, Sun Foundation, Sahney has already spent over Rs 1 crore on motorboats, ambulances, dry ration kits, medical supplies, hygiene material, and fodder for livestock. He also assured to provide fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides to marginal farmers for the next sowing cycle.

Urging central aid, Sahney demanded a Rs 10,000-crore relief package, proposing Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for farmers facing crop losses, along with monetary aid for wage workers and livestock owners.

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Rising water levels trigger alarms at Bhakra and Pong Dams

Authorities in Punjab remain on high alert as the Bhakra dam water level touched 1,679 feet, just one foot short of its maximum capacity. With water inflows increasing, the Rupnagar administration issued an alert to residents near the Sutlej river, urging immediate evacuation to safer areas and relief camps.

The Pong dam also crossed capacity, with inflows touching 1.32 lakh cusecs, forcing significant water release. Officials warned that water discharge from Bhakra could rise further to 80,000–85,000 cusecs, raising flood threats downstream.

Death count climbs to over 40

Punjab’s ongoing flood disaster has already claimed 43 lives across 14 districts, while three people remain missing in Pathankot. Standing crops across 1.71 lakh hectares of farmland have been destroyed, devastating the agrarian economy of the state. Floods have inundated 1,902 villages in 23 districts, affecting more than 3.84 lakh residents. Nearly 21,000 people have been evacuated by disaster response forces and local administration.

State and Centre step up relief efforts

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed that gazetted officers be deployed in every marooned village to ensure direct communication with affected residents and swift resolution of problems. A special ‘girdawari’ survey has also been ordered to assess crop and property losses.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after visiting flood-hit districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala, described the situation as a “jal pralai” (deluge). He assured farmers of full central support and said two central teams are assessing damages for relief disbursal.

Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal visited severely affected areas in Kapurthala and appealed for an urgent central relief package.

One of Punjab’s worst floods in decades

This disaster, driven by swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers with heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab’s own catchment areas, is being described as one of Punjab’s most severe flood crises in decades. Teams from the NDRF, SDRF, and local volunteers are conducting widespread evacuations and rescue operations, but authorities warn that with further rainfall, the crisis could deepen.