Chandigarh: With large parts of Punjab reeling under floodwaters, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has convened an urgent meeting of state ministers and senior officials in Chandigarh to chalk out a comprehensive response plan. The session will review reports from the ground and finalize strategies for relief, rescue, and rehabilitation in the worst-affected regions.
Earlier, the CM Bhagwant Mann had set up a high-level ministerial panel that toured the flood-hit districts to assess damage. Their findings will be presented during the meeting. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini has written to Mann, extending support in handling the crisis.
Over the past two days, CM Mann himself visited several submerged areas, including Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Beas, and Ajnala, pledging state assistance and urging officials to prioritize rescue operations. Notably, he offered his helicopter for government use in relief efforts.
Seven districtsโPathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Fazilka, and Ferozepurโremain the worst hit. In many villages, water has risen to between five and seven feet, inundating homes, destroying livestock fodder, and forcing residents into relief shelters or onto rooftops. Officials noted that the full extent of losses can only be evaluated once water levels recede.
For now, the administration is focused on ensuring safe evacuation, providing food and medical aid, and restoring essential services. Experts have cautioned that rehabilitation may take weeks, with the scale of devastation yet to be fully understood.
