29 Dead As Floods Ravage India's Punjab Over 2.56 Lakh People Affected

Devastating floods in north India's Punjab have claimed 29 lives so far, the maximum in Pathankot district, besides impacting the lives of more than 2.56 lakh people, an official bulletin said.

ANI reported that 12 out of 23 districts in Punjab have been hit in the one month starting August 1, in what the state government called one of the worst flood disasters to hit Punjab in decades.

The floods have affected more than 2.56 lakh people across the 12 districts, displacing thousands and causing heavy losses to human lives, property, agriculture, and livestock, according to Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S Hardeep Singh Mundian.

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Gurdaspur remains the worst-affected district with nearly 1.45 lakh people impacted. Other severely affected districts include Amritsar (35,000), Ferozepur (24,015), and Fazilka (21,562).

The massive floods have been caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The flood situation worsened due to heavy rainfall in many parts of the state.

To aid relief and rescue operations, the state has mobilised multiple agencies. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 20 teams, while the Army, Navy, and Air Force have deployed 10 columns, with eight on standby, along with their respective engineer units. More than 35 helicopters are engaged in rescue efforts, supported by 114 boats and one state helicopter. The Border Security Force (BSF) has also been deployed in affected border regions, ANI reported.

Of the 29 casualties, the maximum - six - have been reported from Pathankot district. Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa and Rupnagar districts reported three deaths each, while Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur saw one death each, according to the official bulletin.

[With ANI inputs]

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