Chandigarh: Floods continue to disrupt life across Punjab, with all 23 districts of the state reporting damage. While water has begun to recede in many regions after the rains subsided, rivers such as the Sutlej and Ghaggar remain swollen. Officials have also raised concerns over a fresh rise in the Ravi’s water level due to heavy discharge from the Madhopur headworks.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast clear skies in Punjab on Thursday, with stable weather expected until September 8. However, a new western disturbance could trigger fresh showers from September 9 onwards.
Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are scheduled to arrive in Punjab today to assess the situation firsthand.
Ravi River’s Destruction
Among Punjab’s rivers, the Ravi has caused the heaviest destruction this monsoon. Floodwaters have receded in several villages, but the scale of damage is becoming evident. Large deposits of sand have buried agricultural fields, while inside homes, thick layers of silt have left families struggling. Cracks on walls, collapsed roofs, and unsafe mud houses highlight the plight of villagers awaiting relief and compensation from both the state and central governments.
However, residents of Amritsar’s Ramdas area faced renewed anxiety on Wednesday night as the Ravi’s level began to climb again. (Punjab Floods)
Fresh Alert in Three Districts
Even as conditions ease in most parts of Punjab, the weather department has issued a flash alert for Mansa, Sangrur, and Barnala, warning of heavy rainfall until Thursday morning. Light rain could also occur in surrounding areas, it added.
With agricultural losses mounting and thousands of families displaced, the coming days will be crucial as authorities work to provide relief and leaders from across the political spectrum step in to review the crisis.
