Punjab floods: PM conducts aerial survey, meets affected people in Gurdaspur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas in Punjab, battling its worst deluge since 1988.

Modi, who is on a day-long visit to Punjab and its neighbouring Himachal Pradesh to review the flood situation in the two states, landed in Gurdaspur -- one of the worst affected district in the state -- after conducting the aerial survey.

Prior to this, the PM visited Himachal Pradesh and took stock of the flood and landslides situation in the state.

In Gurdaspur, Modi met flood-affected people as well as NDRF and SDRF teams.

PM Modi chaired an official meeting in Gurdaspur to review the situation.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Punjab Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present in the meeting.

While leaving from Delhi for Himachal Pradesh and Punjab earlier in the day, PM Modi wrote on X, "The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with those affected in this tragic hour."

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma, senior party leader Tarun Chugh and Union minister Bittu were present when Modi was interacting with the flood-affected farmers in Gurdaspur Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The floods are a result of swollen rivers the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi along with seasonal rivulets caused by heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides, heavy rains in recent days in Punjab also aggravated the flooding situation.

The death toll due to the devastating floods in Punjab stands at 51 while crops on 1.84 lakh hectares have been damaged.

The state government has estimated a loss of over Rs 13,000 crore because of the floods that ravaged the state.

A total of 2,064 villages have been impacted because of the floods, with maximum villages in Gurdaspur district at 329.

The worst affected districts are Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran and Pathankot.

According to the state government officials, over 3.87 lakh people have been affected across 15 districts and more than 23,000 persons have been safely evacuated from the flood-hit areas.

Tight security arrangements have been made in Gurdaspur in the wake of the prime minister's visit.

Ahead of the PM visit, the AAP government had demanded from Modi to announce a relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for the state during his visit.

On Monday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that he hoped that the PM would announce a comprehensive relief package to compensate Punjab and its people for the losses caused by the natural calamity.

Mann (51) is recovering in Fortis Hospital in Mohali where he was admitted after he complained of exhaustion and low heart rate on September 5.

"The Hon'ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is visiting Punjab tomorrow, and I welcome him. I am unwell, otherwise I would have personally taken him to visit all the flood-affected areas", he had said.

Union Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on September 4 had visited the flood-ravaged areas in Punjab and inspected the extent of crop damage and called it a situation of 'jal pralai (water calamity).

He had assured farmers that the Centre would make every effort to bail them out of this crisis.

Chouhan had visited flood-hit areas in Punjab's Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala districts where he interacted with people including farmers affected by the floods.