Punjab floods: Rahul Gandhi’s ground visit monday

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit flood-affected areas of Punjab on Monday, party sources said on Sunday.

According to sources, Gandhi will undertake a day-long visit to review the situation in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts, which have been severely impacted by the floods. During his tour, he is expected to meet families who have been directly affected by the disaster.

Punjab is currently grappling with its worst floods since 1988, triggered by swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets that surged due to heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Continuous rainfall within Punjab further aggravated the situation.

The floods have so far claimed 56 lives, while crops spread over 1.98 lakh hectares have been reported damaged. The widespread destruction has placed significant pressure on relief and rehabilitation measures in the state.

On September 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas and reviewed the damage. Following the visit, he announced Rs 1,600 crore in financial assistance to Punjab, in addition to the Rs 12,000 crore already available in the state’s kitty. The Prime Minister also declared an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the floods and related calamities.

Earlier, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, L Murugan and B L Verma had also toured the flood-hit districts to assess the ground situation and relief operations.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes as the state continues to focus on recovery efforts and providing support to families and farmers impacted by the unprecedented deluge.