GURDASPUR: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday visited flood-hit areas of Punjab, declaring the situation “serious” as crops and villages remain badly affected. He said two central teams are already assessing the damage while assuring that the Centre stands firmly with farmers and residents.
Chouhan, who toured Amritsar and Gurdaspur, met flood victims and inspected damaged farmlands. “The situation is serious. Crops are destroyed, 1,400 villages badly affected. The Centre and the state government are both assessing losses. In this difficult time, we stand with Punjab,” he said.
According to state officials, 37 lives have been lost and over 1,650 villages impacted, with Gurdaspur the worst hit, followed by Amritsar, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Sangrur. Nearly 1.75 lakh hectares of cropland are under water.
Rescue and relief operations are underway, with Punjab Police using drones to deliver supplies in cut-off areas like Ajnala. Evacuation drives have also been carried out in villages along the Sutlej.
In Mohali’s Derabassi, the district administration reviewed flood preparedness, directing officials to keep machinery and manpower on standby. Residents were assured that preventive measures, including clearing drains and mapping flood-prone areas, were being taken to minimise damage.
