Chandigarh: The Punjab government has officially declared the state a disaster-affected region due to relentless rainfall and widespread flooding across 23 districts.
Over 1,400 villages are inundated, affecting millions of residents, with 30 deaths confirmed and three people still missing.
Gurdaspur is the worst-hit, with 324 villages submerged, followed by Amritsar (135 villages), Barnala (134), and Hoshiarpur (119).
The death toll includes six fatalities in Pathankot, four in Ludhiana, and three each in Amritsar, Barnala, Mansa, Rupnagar, and Hoshiarpur. One death each has been reported in Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali, and Sangrur.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains warned of continuous rainfall in Nangal, where weakened embankments along streams and the Sutlej River pose a severe risk. He urged residents to evacuate to safer areas immediately.
The release of 305,000 cusecs of water from Harike Pattan Headworks has led to Tarn Taran being designated a high-flood zone, with downstream effects expected in Firozpur and Fazilka villages.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is set to visit flood-affected areas in Sangrur today to oversee relief operations.
Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha issued an official directive declaring the state disaster-affected, citing persistent rains and dam water releases as the cause of flooding in over 1,400 villages.
The directive empowers District Magistrates to issue urgent orders to protect lives and property in high-risk areas. It mandates District Disaster Management Authorities to provide immediate relief, including food, water, medicine, and safe shelters, to reduce public hardship.
All state departments are instructed to remain fully operational, with staff prioritising emergency duties. The Public Works Department, Water Resources Department, and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited are tasked with swiftly restoring roads, electricity, and water supply.
Telecom providers are directed to ensure uninterrupted mobile and landline services for emergency communication. Panchayats and urban local bodies are also required to collaborate with state authorities to support evacuation, relief distribution, and service restoration efforts.
Relief operations are underway as Punjab battles one of its most severe flooding crises in recent years
