OVER 3.55 LAKH PEOPLE AFFECTED, AROUND 20,000 EVACUATED AND 167 RELIEF CAMPS FUNCTIONAL IN THE STATE

Face2News/Chandigarh

Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian today said that the State is reeling under one of the worst floods in recent decades with widespread crop devastation reported across 1,75,216 hectares of farmland. The Minister said that Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Mansa, Ferozepur and Fazilka are among the worst-hit districts, accounting for the bulk of the agricultural losses. He added that the scale of damage to crops, villages and population underlines the severity of the calamity that has gripped 23 districts of Punjab. 

To accommodate the displaced, 167 relief camps have been established across the State, which include 29 camps in Barnala, 26 in Patiala, 23 in SBS Nagar, 11 each in Fazilka and Jalandhar, 16 in Amritsar, 14 in Pathankot, 13 in Gurdaspur, 8 in Ferozepur, 5 in Hoshiarpur, 3 in Rupnagar, 4 in Kapurthala, 2 in Moga and 1 each in Mansa and Sangrur. In these camps, 5304 people are currently sheltered. The largest numbers are housed in Fazilka (1468), Hoshiarpur (1041), Ferozepur (706), Amritsar (371), Jalandhar (474), Barnala (369), Pathankot (417), Mansa (163), Moga (115), Sangrur (75), Kapurthala 57, Rupnagar (35) and Gurdaspur (13), he added. 

The Revenue Minister informed that 1655 villages have been inundated affecting a population of 3,55,709 persons. He that the most severely affected districts include Gurdaspur (324 villages), Amritsar (190), Kapurthala (123), Hoshiarpur (121), Mansa (114), Ferozepur (111), Pathankot (88), Fazilka (77), Sangrur (107), Tarn Taran (70), Jalandhar (64), Patiala (53) and SBS Nagar (44). Smaller but significant impacts have been reported in Bathinda (13), Faridkot (15), Rupnagar (5), Ludhiana (26), Barnala (37), Sri Muktsar Sahib (24), Malerkotla (7), SAS Nagar (13) and Moga (29). 

The Revenue Minister informed that a total of 3,55,709 people have been affected, with Amritsar (1,17,534), Gurdaspur (1,45,000), Ferozepur (39,076) and Fazilka (21,562) among the worst hit. Other districts reporting impact include Pathankot (15,053), Kapurthala (5728), SAS Nagar (7,000), Hoshiarpur (1966) and Jalandhar (991), while smaller numbers were reported in Barnala (476), Moga (800), Rupnagar (300), Mansa (163) and Tarn Taran (60). 

Divulging damages on the agricultural front, the Revenue Minister said that 1,75,216 hectares of standing crops have been damaged in the state. Gurdaspur alone has suffered losses over 40,169 hectares, followed by Mansa (24,967), Amritsar (23,000 hectares), Fazilka (17,786), Ferozepur (17,620), Kapurthala (14,934), Tarn Taran (12,828), Sangrur (6560), Hoshiarpur (5971), Pathankot (2442), Jalandhar (3000), SAS Nagar (2000), Patiala (600), Moga (2240), Bathinda (586), Rupnagar (300), SBS Nagar (181) and Ludhiana (32). 

S. Mundian informed that 37 human lives have been lost across 12 districts, while three persons remain missing in Pathankot. The highest fatalities have been reported in Hoshiarpur (7), Pathankot (6) and Barnala (5), followed by Amritsar and Ludhiana with 4 each, while 3 each deaths reported in Bathinda and Mansa, 1 each in Gurdaspur, Patiala, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar and Sangrur. 

He said that in rescue operations, total 22 NDRF teams are active in districts including Amritsar and (Gurdaspur (4 each), Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka (3 each), Jalandhar (2), Bathinda, Rupnagar and Kapurthala (1 each). The Army, Air Force and Navy have deployed columns with engineers in the district including Gurdaspur (3), Pathankot, Rupnagar and Amritsar (2 each) and Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Fazilka (1 each). 

He said that around 35 helicopters deployed to aid evacuation and supply of relief material. The BSF has been supporting efforts in border district Gurdaspur. The State Government has also deployed 117 boats and a state helicopter to intensify relief operations.