Rain, floods claim eight lives in Punjab: Report

Eight people have lost their lives due to rain and floods in Punjab, claimed a state government report on Wednesday.

Eight people have lost their lives due to rain and floods in Punjab, claimed a state government report on Wednesday.

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According to the report shared by chief minister capt Amarinder Singh on his Twitter handle, five people died in Ludhiana and one each in Fazilka, Roopnagar and Jalandhar. The state government raised the assessment of damage due to rain and floods to ₹2,000 crore. “I am grateful to @adgpi, @NDRFHQ, @PunjabGovtIndia Officials along with people who came together to repair breaches and safeguard lives. Damage assessed will cost the state approximately Rs 2,000 crore, which includes compensation and damage to the state’s infrastructure,” Amarinder said in his tweet.

The state government had earlier estimated the damage to the tune of ₹1,700 crore. It had sought ₹1,000 crore from the Centre in a special flood-relief package.

As per the report, over 550 villages were affected by heavy rains and floods. Over 1,400 pucca houses were fully or severely damaged in addition to 298 houses that were partially damaged. Crops over 1.72-lakh acres were affected, the report claimed. The state government had declared the situation in affected areas a natural calamity.

The recent rains and release of excess water from the Bhakra dam into the Sutlej and its tributaries had inundated several villages across state, causing extensive damage. People in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Rupnagar, Moga and Ludhiana districts have lost their houses, belongings and standing crops.