Punjab Faces Devastating Floods; CM Urges PM for Aid

Punjab Faces Devastating Floods; CM Urges PM for Aid

"Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood crises, which has caused immense damage and financial losses".

The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting immediate financial help. Mann described the situation as a "difficult time for Punjab" and asked the central government to release ₹60,000 crore in pending funds owed to the state.

The Chief Minister also called for changes to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rules. He proposed increasing the compensation for farmers to ₹50,000 per acre to cover their flood-related losses. He stated that while the Punjab government is ready to provide this relief, it requires the central government's approval and support.

So far, the floods have affected more than 1,000 villages and thousands of people. The most severely impacted districts are Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur.

Official estimates show that nearly 3 lakh acres of agricultural land have been flooded, resulting in crop destruction valued at thousands of crores of rupees.