Flood hits nearly 1.25L people, affects 3L acres of farmland in Punjab: govt

The foremost priority of the state government is to protect lives, shift people to safe shelters in relief camps and provide food and basic necessities to everyone, including children and the elderly, Verma said.

The state government has already announced a special girdawari to provide compensation for the affected crops. District authorities have been directed to collect accurate data on losses, Verma said, adding: Compensation will be disbursed as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

According to information, in Ferozepur district alone, around 107 villages and nearly 45,000 people have been impacted. Some of the displaced families have been shifted to eight relief camps of the district administration, where they are being provided food supplies and other essential items.

Referring to Gatti Rajoke village, Verma said, as residents drew attention towards slow drainage of floodwaters, instructions were issued to the drainage department to expedite dewatering with the help of JCB machines.

Besides, several villages have been cut off due to waterlogging. The administration has been directed to speed up restoration efforts, he said.

The Additional Chief Secretary said district authorities had been working around the clock to provide relief. Tarpaulins and other necessary supplies are being delivered with the support of NDRF and BSF. So far, more than 3,300 people have been rescued in Ferozepur alone.

He said, the government is going two steps ahead to extend all possible help to the flood-affected families. The government is fully alert, and calculations have already been made in coordination with relevant departments regarding the release of water from dams in case of heavy rainfall or regulated drainage if rainfall stops.

Verma also visited Fazilka and met officials to take stock of the flood-affected villages.

Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Amarpreeet Kaur Sandhu apprised Verma that 22,988 people have been affected in the district, of which 2,049 have been safely evacuated, 1,201 people are staying in relief camps.

Sandhu said, as many as 4,558 ration kits and 2,017 bags of cattle feed have been distributed so far. Besides this, 55 trolleys of green fodder and 4,800 water bottles have been provided in the affected areas. Overall, 32 villages and nearly 13,000 acres of farmland have been impacted by floods in Fazilka district.

Verma, however, underlined that the state government is fully prepared and has drawn up a comprehensive plan to deal with every situation.

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