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Majha reels under floods: Woman drowns; army, NDRF rescue over 2,000
The deceased was identified as Kulwinder Kaur, who hailed from Khode Bet village in the border belt. She, along with her elder brother, had gone to perform sewa at nearby Gurdwara Tahli Sahib. While returning through an inundated road, her feet slipped and she fell into the floodwater.
A 45-year-old woman drowned near Dera Baba Nanak town, with the rising water levels forcing the administration to evacuate nearly 2,000 people to safer places in Gurdaspur district. Seven NDRF teams, along with the army and BSF, have been pressed into service for rescue operations in the district.
The deceased was identified as Kulwinder Kaur, who hailed from Khode Bet village in the border belt. She, along with her elder brother, had gone to perform sewa at nearby Gurdwara Tahli Sahib. While returning through an inundated road, her feet slipped and she fell into the floodwater.
Locals managed to rescue her, and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead by the doctors.
The staff members of Kerala International School in Kalanaur were rescued. In addition, a newborn baby and mother were rescued today in Bakshiwal village of Kalanaur.
The entire Majha region, comprising Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, and Tarn Taran districts, has seen widespread damage to crops, properties, with large swathes of land inundated. With Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej in spate, more area was engulfed by the floodwater.
Apart from government agencies, several religious and social organisations, including the SGPC, have stepped in to evacuate people and distribute rations.
Gurdaspur deputy commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh said that more than 2,000 persons were safely evacuated from affected areas by the district administration teams. “As many as 12 relief camps have been established in the district to accommodate the victims, where all facilities are being provided. These camps are equipped not only with food but also with bedding, dry rations, biscuits, milk for infants, and other essential supplies. Ambulances have also been deployed for medical assistance, and medical camps are being organised in various affected villages,” the DC said.
The DC stated that the water level of the Ravi has receded on Thursday, and the water level is also gradually dropping.
Drones used to supply ration
The administration on Thursday delivered relief material to flood-affected areas using drones at Dera Baba Nanak. SDM Dera Baba Nanak, Aditya Sharma, said that floodwaters from the Ravi river have entered several villages, making it difficult for district administration teams to deliver relief material.
“So, an agricultural drone (generally used for spraying pesticides and fertilizers) was employed to deliver relief items to people stranded in waterlogged areas. Dry rations, drinking water, and medicines are being supplied to the affected people,” Sharma said.
In the Amritsar district, water has affected nearly 40 villages of Ajnala tehsil, as per the officials. Using Army’s ATOR vehicles, boats and tractor-trolleys, teams of administration rescued people trapped in flood-hit villages and farmhouses and moved them to safer locations.
“Nearly 14,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the floods,” according to a spokesperson of the district administration.
On Wednesday, the Dhussi embankment had breached, pushing water into residential areas.
All the roads leading to the Ramdas area of Amritsar were blocked by the floodwater. In the Tarn Taran district, too, villagers spent the entire day strengthening the dhussi bundh in the border villages of Mehandipur and Miawala, where the rising waters of the Sutlej and the Kasuri drain coming from Pakistan are threatening to breach the embankments. By Thursday afternoon, the water breached the bundh near Miawala village, submerging crops on thousands of acres.
CM assures full support, compensation
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday asked the deputy commissioners of the flood-affected districts to further intensify the pace of relief and rescue measures besides providing all necessary material to the families stranded at inundated villages.
The CM was briefed by the local officials on the extent of damage caused to the standing crops, houses, public installations, and livestock due to floods. Describing the situation as unprecedented, Mann assured that all possible assistance would be provided.
“The state government is duty-bound to bail people out in this hour of crisis, and no stone will be left unturned for it,” CM said, asking DCs to mobilise all the resources at their disposal to evacuate the people and provide relief.
“Ensure supply of food, drinking water, shelter, and medicines to all the affected people. The animal husbandry department has been asked to provide the necessary fodder and medicines for the livestock in the affected areas on priority. Funds have already been issued to the flood-affected districts,” he said.
Mann, cabinet, AAP MLAs to contribute salaries for flood-relief
Announcing this on X, Mann said: “Punjab has suffered significant losses due to nature’s fury, and this is a time when all Punjabis must come together to support each other.” He stated that he, along with his ministers and AAP MLAs, would contribute one month’s salary to aid and support those affected by the floods. HTC
