Several parts of Punjab witnessed rains on Sunday amid flood fury across the state due to 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 Indian Meteorological department has issued an alert for more downpour on Sunday and Monday.
Beas river in spate
The Kapurthala district administration has issued a warning, urging residents of the Sultanpur Lodhi area to shift to safer locations as the water level in the Beas river continues to rise due to ongoing heavy rainfall, according to officials cited by PTI.
Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal stated that the Beas river's water flow has surged to 2.35 lakh cusecs because of the continuous downpour.
Meanwhile, the weather department has also issued a heavy rain alert for the Kapurthala district.
Rescue operation in full swing
Villages in Punjab's Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts have been the worst affected by floods. The NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities have launched a massive relief and rescue operation in the affected areas.
People in flood-hit areas are being shifted to safer locations. Besides, the state government, NGOs and self-help groups have been supplying food and medicines to the people. A total of 11,330 people have been evacuated so far to safer places.
Thousands of hectares of standing crops have been destroyed in floods.
Several Punjab leaders have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a special relief package for the border state.
Punjab govt blames Centre
State Water Resources Minister Goyal has strongly criticised the Centre, blaming it for the worst flooding Punjab has seen in 37 years. He said the damage could have been reduced if the BBMB had released water on time in June.
AAP, Congress MLAs pledge one-month salary
The Punjab government also announced that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with his cabinet ministers and all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, will contribute their one month’s salary to support flood relief work. Congress MLAs in the state have also pledged to donate their one-month salary to the same cause.
