Central teams to visit Punjab to assess losses due to floods

Following severe floods in August and September, the Punjab government has drafted a memorandum seeking ₹13,300 crore from the Centre for compensation and reconstruction, which was finally scaled down to ₹12,905 crore.

Expert teams from the Centre are scheduled to arrive in Punjab later this week to assess the losses caused due to the floods that hit the state in August and September. The visit follows the Punjab government’s submission of a memorandum requesting ₹12,905 crore in compensation for flood-related losses. The state’s request for funds is meant to cover extensive damage caused by the floods, particularly in its border districts.

Expert teams from the Centre are scheduled to arrive in Punjab later this week to assess the losses caused due to the floods that hit the state in August and September. (AFP File)

An official from the state revenue department has stated that the Centre is assessing the extent of the damage. To verify the state government’s estimates, a team of experts will be sent after the Diwali holiday, which means later this week.

Following severe floods in August and September, the Punjab government has drafted a memorandum seeking ₹13,300 crore from the Centre for compensation and reconstruction, which was finally scaled down to ₹12,905 crore. The floods caused extensive damage to kharif crops, primarily paddy, as well as loss of lives, milch animals, and property.

“The teams from the ministry of agriculture, animal husbandry, rural development, roads and bridges, will come and visit the state to assess the loss,” added the official.

A 14-member central team was sent to the state to evaluate the quality of freshly harvested paddy, as the proportion of discolored and damaged grain exceeded the 5% permissible limit. As farmers continue to face value cuts, the relaxation from the Centre is awaited. The devastating floods caused widespread damage in the districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Mansa, and Fazilka. Following a flood assessment (girdawari), the state revenue department reported that crops on over 2.97 lakh acres were completely destroyed.Of the total amount, the state government has sought ₹2,781 crore for loss to crop and agricultural land that was washed away. In addition, the floods left 30,000 houses damaged, with 9,000 having been completely damaged.

As per the girdawari report, total crop area affected by silt is 85,863 acres, and Ferozepur is the worst-affected district with 25,273 acres covered under silt, followed by Tarn Taran (25,204 acres); Kapurthala (15,803 acres); Fazilka (5,104 acres); and Moga (5,031 acres). However, the layer of silt deposited over the farmland is yet to be ascertained. For desilting of sand on over 85,863 acres, the government has demanded ₹25,000 per acre, as according to officials in the revenue department, it is an uphill task for a farmer to remove silt from their fields even if they have been allowed to sell the sand.

Earlier on a visit to flood-ravaged Punjab on September 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced financial assistance of ₹1,600 crore in addition to the ₹12,000 crore already in the state’s kitty. He announced the advance release of the second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. The relief package, according to the PM, included rebuilding homes under the PM Awas Yojana, restoring national highways, reconstructing schools, and distributing mini kits for livestock to help the entire region and its people get back on their feet.

As per preliminary reports collated from the girdawari being conducted by the revenue department, out of the 5 lakh acres of farmland affected due to the floods in August-September, the crop on over 2.97 lakh acres has suffered 100% damage.

In his address in the Vidhan Sabha on September 30 on the concluding day of a two-day special session, chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had assured that the government will start disbursing flood-relief compensation to affected individuals before Diwali. So far a negligible amount has been disbursed in the flood-ravaged areas.

While the House had passed a resolution seeking a ₹20,000-crore special package from the central government, the CM had also met Union home minister Amit Shah regarding flood aid.

The state government had announced a compensation of ₹10,000 for per-acre farmland with 26% to 33% crop loss, for 33% to 75% crop loss, the compensation was enhanced from ₹6,800 to ₹10,000 per acre. For 75% to 100% crop loss, the compensation will be ₹20,000 per acre.