At least 29 people have died and thousands displaced as Punjab battles the “worst floods in recent history”. Such was the severity of the crisis that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after landing in Delhi on his return from China, called up Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday to take stock of the situation.
Heavy rain and the release of water from dams have inundated more than 10 districts. Punjab recorded 253.7 mm of rainfall in August, 74 per cent above normal and the highest in 25 years. Mann warned that the situation could worsen in the coming days.
HERE’S THE LATEST ON PUNJAB FLOODS
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PM Modi called Mann on Monday evening, reportedly the first official communication from the Centre since the floods began a week ago. “He [PM Modi] has assured him of all help and support to the state,” an official told news agency PTI.
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Over 1,300 villages across Punjab are submerged, with 6,582 people shifted to 122 relief camps, according to official data. Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar are among the worst-hit districts.
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Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets, have overflowed due to heavy rain in the hill states. In some places, the Ravi has swelled to more than ten times its width, submerging houses, vast stretches of cropland, and displacing thousands of families.
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Hoshiarpur has been hit hard, with floodwaters entering homes in several villages on Monday. Fearing that their homes could collapse, many families have sheltered in tractor-trolleys, avoiding relief camps to stay close to their land and livestock.
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