Due to heavy rains and landslides that have been going on for almost a month, the waters of the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers in Punjab, India, have risen dangerously. Many districts have been flooded.
BS News Agency, Punjab: According to official estimates, at least 29 people have died in the state since August 1 and about 2.5 lakh people have been affected. The state government has called it the worst flood in decades.
The administration's bulletin said that 12 out of 23 districts have been severely affected. The highest loss of life has been in the border district of Pathankot. Six people have died here. Apart from this, three deaths have been reported each in Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa and Rupnagar. One death each in Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur.
The floods have not only claimed lives, but also displaced a large number of people. More than 15,000 people have been evacuated to safer places across the state. The highest number of people - 5,549 - have been rescued from Gurdaspur. Several thousand people have also been evacuated from Fazilka, Ferozepur, Amritsar and Pathankot. So far, about 1,044 villages have been flooded.
The people of Amritsar district have been the most affected by this flood. About 35,000 people have been trapped in one district. Thousands of people have also been affected in other districts including Ferozepur, Fazilka, Pathankot, Gurdaspur.
The flood has destroyed crops on more than 1 lakh hectares of land. There has also been extensive damage to livestock. The administration is unable to say how many animals have died until the water recedes.
Similarly, the extent of damage to roads, bridges and rural infrastructure has not yet been assessed.
Currently, 20 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been sent. The army, SDRF and local police are carrying out rescue operations. Relief camps have been set up to provide relief aid to the flood victims.
The state's chief minister has called it "the worst flood in Punjab's recent history" and has sought the help of the central government. The situation is expected to worsen with fresh rains forecast in the next few days.