22,854 PERSONS SAFELY EVACUATED, FLOODS CLAIM 3 MORE LIVES: HARDEEP SINGH MUNDIAN

22,854 PERSONS SAFELY EVACUATED, FLOODS CLAIM 3 MORE LIVES: HARDEEP SINGH MUNDIAN

139 RELIEF CAMPS OPERATIONAL, SHELTERING 6121 AFFECTED PEOPLE

CROP DAMAGE CROSSES 1.74 LAKH HECTARES TO DATE

48 MORE VILLAGES, 2691 POPULATION AND 2131 HECTARES CROPS AFFECTED DURING PAST 24 HOURS

Chandigarh, September 6 (WISHAVWARTA):- Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian today informed that 48 more villages, 2691 population and 2131 hectares of crops have been affected during the past 24 hours. Till date, 1996 villages across 22 districts stand impacted, affecting a total population of 3,87,013.

S. Mundian said that 19 more villages have been affected in Jalandhar within 24 hours, while 13 in Ludhiana, 6 in Ferozepur, 5 in Amritsar, 4 in Hoshiarpur and one village in district Fazilka were affected during this period.

Detailing the evacuation efforts, the Revenue Minister said that 925 more persons were evacuated within the last 24 hours, taking the total to 22,854 people rescued so far. The highest number of evacuations have been carried out till date in Gurdaspur (5581), Fazilka (4202), Ferozepur (3888), Amritsar (3260), Hoshiarpur (1616), Pathankot (1139) and Kapurthala (1428).

He further said that 139 relief camps are presently operational in the state, sheltering 6121 affected people, while a total of 219 camps have been established across different districts since the onset of floods. These include 14 camps in Fazilka sheltering 2588, 49 camps in Barnala sheltering 527 people, 4 camps in Hoshiarpur sheltering 921 people, 5 camps in Rupnagar sheltering 250 persons, 3 camps in Moga sheltering 155 affected persons and 2 camps in Mansa sheltering 89 persons.

The Cabinet Minister said that floods have claimed three more lives in Amritsar and Rupnagar in the past 24 hours, raising the total toll to 46 across 14 districts, while three persons remain missing in district Pathankot.

S. Mundian, while highlighting the impact on agriculture, informed that with an additional 2131 hectares of crop damage in the last 24 hours, the total has now crossed 1.74 lakh hectares across 18 districts. The worst-affected districts include Gurdaspur (40,169 hectares), Fazilka (18,649 hectares), Ferozepur (17,257 hectares), Kapurthala (17,574 hectares), Hoshiarpur (8,322 hectares), Sangrur (6,560 hectares), Tarn Taran (12,828 hectares) and SAS Nagar (2,000 hectares).

While expressing gratitude towards the armed forces for assisting during these tough times, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that total 23 NDRF teams were engaged in relief and rescue operations in Amritsar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Rupnagar, while 2 SDRF teams are active in Kapurthala.

He said that 27 Army columns and 7 Engineer Task Forces of the Indian Army are actively engaged in flood-hit regions. Nine helicopters of the Indian Air Force and Army have been pressed into relief operations. The BSF is providing assistance in the Ferozepur sector. Besides this, 158 boats along with one state helicopter are part of the ongoing rescue and relief measures.