Punjab reels under worst floods in decades: All 23 districts declared disaster-hit, 30 dead, 3.5 lakh displaced

Punjab has declared all 23 districts flood-hit, with the deluge claiming at least 30 lives, displacing over 3.5 lakh people, and devastating nearly 1.5 lakh hectares of standing crops. The scale of destruction has prompted urgent appeals for enhanced relief and permanent solutions to long-pending agrarian concerns.

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made separate visits to inundated regions. Mann, who surveyed Ferozepur’s marooned villages by boat, lashed out at the Centre for “meagre compensation norms” and renewed his demand for release of Punjab’s ₹60,000 crore in pending dues. “I am demanding Punjab’s rights, not begging for it,” he said. Kataria, during his tour of Ferozepur and severely-hit Tarn Taran, threw weight behind farmers’ demand for permanent land ownership to secure crop-loss compensation.

Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian confirmed that floodwaters have engulfed 1,400 villages across the state, forcing evacuation of nearly 20,000 residents. The worst-affected include Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Mansa, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Hoshiarpur.

Relief efforts are in full swing: 23 NDRF teams are deployed, while the Army, Air Force and Navy have pressed in 12 columns, two engineering units, and 35 helicopters. The BSF is providing ground support in border areas. A fleet of 114 boats and a state helicopter are engaged in rescue and supply runs.

Health Minister Balbir Singh said 818 medical teams are working round the clock in flood-hit areas. “Our goal is to ensure that no person is left without medical care,” he assured.

With rivers swollen near danger levels and reservoirs filled to the brim, authorities remain on high alert, warning the crisis may worsen if rains persist.