With floods affecting seven districts of Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday convened an emergency meeting of ministers and senior officials in Chandigarh to review the situation and chalk out the next strategy. The meeting will take stock of feedback received from the flood-hit areas. Earlier, Mann had formed a high-level committee of ministers, which has already toured the affected regions and submitted its report.
Over the past two days, Mann has been touring the worst-hit areas. He first visited Gurdaspur and Pathankot, making his helicopter available for official work, before moving to Beas and Ajnala to personally review the ground situation. Opposition leaders had earlier targeted him over his Tamil Nadu visit, but the chief minister has remained focused on relief operations.
The most affected districts are Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Fazilka and Ferozepur, where water has entered residential areas up to five to seven feet. With fodder supplies exhausted, livestock are also under stress. Many families are spending their days either in relief camps or on rooftops. Experts say the full extent of losses can only be assessed once the floodwater recedes.
In a show of solidarity, Punjab’s 117 MLAs, ministers and MPs are active in their respective constituencies, with the government announcing that all will donate one month’s salary for flood relief. Several social service organisations have also joined the efforts.