Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 9 (HBTV): The flood situation in Punjab has worsened, with the death toll rising to 51, according to the Department of Information and Public Relations. On Sunday, the death toll was 46.
Heavy monsoon rains over the past week have caused rivers to overflow, inundating several districts across the state and leaving thousands affected. Large-scale relief operations are currently underway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on Tuesday to review the flood-related situation. He is scheduled to reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, at around 1:30 pm to meet officials, chair a high-level review meeting, and interact with flood-affected persons and teams from the NDRF, SDRF, and Aapda Mitra. Around 3 pm, he will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Punjab.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Aman Arora expressed hope that the Centre would announce a relief package for Punjab.
‘Punjab has been reeling under floods for the past 20–25 days. Tomorrow, PM Modi is coming to Punjab. We welcome him and are hopeful that tomorrow, he will give a relief package to Punjab. The preliminary estimation of damage due to floods amounts to INR 20,000 crores,’ Arora said.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said the Prime Minister was ‘deeply concerned’ about the situation.
In a post on X, Jakhar stated: ‘Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is deeply concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and is closely monitoring it. He is visiting Punjab on September 9 to personally assess the local conditions and understand the ground realities to provide maximum assistance to the people of Punjab.’
(ANI)