FLOODS AFFECT 1902 VILLAGES AND OVER 3.84 LAKH POPULATION
Punjab News: Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian, on Thursday, informed that 1902 villages across 22 districts have been affected due to unprecedented floods in the state, impacting a population of over 3.84 lakh people in 15 districts. He said that to accommodate the affected population, 196 relief camps are operational, registering an increase of 29 camps compared to yesterday. Extensive damage has also reported to standing crops over 1.71 lakh hectares of farmland across the state, with Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Kaputhala and Mansa among the worst hit districts.
Giving further details, the Revenue Minister informed that so far 20,972 persons have been evacuated from flood-hit areas and major evacuations were carried out in Gurdaspur (5581 persons), Ferozepur (3804), Fazilka (3032), Amritsar (2734), Pathankot (1139), Hoshiarpur (1615), Kapurthala (1428), Jalandhar (511), Barnala (539), Mansa (178), Moga (145), Rupnagar (245) and Tarn Taran (21).
To accommodate the displaced, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said, 196 relief camps are functional across the State, marking an increase of 29 camps. These include 23 camps in Fazilka, 36 in Barnala, 27 in Patiala, 18 in Jalandhar, 23 in SBS Nagar, 16 in Amritsar, 14 in Pathankot, 13 in Gurdaspur, 8 in Ferozepur, 4 in Rupnagar, 5 in Hoshiarpur, 4 in Kapurthala, 2 each in Moga and Mansa and 1 in Sangrur. He said that at present, 6,755 people are sheltered in these camps, with maximum inmates in Fazilka (2339), Hoshiarpur (1041), Ferozepur (749), Pathankot (581), Jalandhar (511), Barnala (539), Amritsar (371), Rupnagar (245), Moga (145), Mansa (89), Sangrur (75), Kapurthala (57) and Gurdaspur (13).
On the human toll, the Revenue Minister said that with 6 more deaths reported within 24 hours in the state, a total 43 lives have been lost across 14 districts. The highest fatalities have been reported in Hoshiarpur (7) and Pathankot (6), followed by Barnala and Amritsar (5 each), Ludhiana and Bathinda (4 each), Mansa (3), Gurdaspur and SAS Nagar (2 each), while 1 death each has been reported in Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur, Fazilka and Ferozepur. Three persons still remain missing in Pathankot.
Detailing crop losses, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that crops in 18 districts of the state have been damaged. He said that Gurdaspur alone suffered damage across 40,169 hectares, followed by Amritsar (26,701), Fazilka (17,786), Ferozepur (17,221), Kapurthala (17,807), Tarn Taran (12,828), Mansa (11042), Sangrur (6560), Hoshiarpur (8322), Jalandhar (4800), SAS Nagar (2000), Pathankot (2442), Moga (2240), Patiala (600), Bathinda (587), SBS Nagar (362), Rupnagar (300) and Ludhiana (32).
S. Mundian informed that 1902 villages of 22 districts have been impacted, affecting a population of 3,84,205 persons. Most severely affected districts include Gurdaspur (329 villages), Amritsar (190), Kapurthala (144), Hoshiarpur (168), Mansa (95), Ferozepur (102), Pathankot (88), Fazilka (77), Sangrur (107), Tarn Taran (70), Jalandhar (64) and Patiala (85), SBS Nagar (28), Bathinda (21), Faridkot (15), Rupnagar (44), Ludhiana (52), Barnala (121), Sri Muktsar Sahib (23), Malerkotla (12), SAS Nagar (15) and Moga (52).
The Revenue Minister said that a total of 3,84,205 people have been affected, with Amritsar (1,35,880), Gurdaspur (1,45,000), Ferozepur (38,594) and Fazilka (24,212) among the worst hit. Other districts reporting impact include Pathankot (15,503), Kapurthala (5728), SAS Nagar (13,000), Hoshiarpur (2465), Barnala (1252), Jalandhar (1090), Moga (800), Rupnagar (368), Mansa (178), Sangrur (75) and Tarn Taran (60).
S. Mundian said that 9 more teams have been pressed into relief operations and now 31 NDRF teams are working tirelessly across the State with maximum deployment in Amritsar and Pathankot (6 teams each), followed by Gurdaspur and Fazilka (4 each), Patiala and Ferozepur (3 each), Jalandhar and Rupnagar (2 each) and 1 team in Kapurthala. Similary, SDRF’s two teams have been deployed in Kapurthala district.
Besides this, 28 Army, Navy and Air Force units are active in Gurdaspur (4), Amritsar (2), Ferozepur (5), Pathankot (3), Jalandhar, Rupnagar and Tarn Taran (2 each), SBS Nagar (4), Fazilka (2), Patiala and Kapurthala (1 each). Around 35 helicopters of Indian Air Force and Army are providing air support for evacuation and relief supply. Besides this, the BSF is also assisting in border district Ferozepur. The Cabinet Minister said that 134 boats and one state helicopter have been pressed into service to intensify relief measures.
