Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called up Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss the rain and flooding in the state, immediately upon landing in New Delhi after his China visit, official sources said.
The PM assured Mann of all help and support, the sources said.
Asserting that Punjab is facing the worst floods in the recent history, Chief Minister Mann assured the people that the state government is with them in this hour of crisis and every effort will be made to bail them in this hour of crisis.
The Chief Minister, who undertook a whirlwind tour of the flood-affected areas in Hoshiarpur, also interacted with the people in the Shelter Home at Government Senior Secondary School, Miani.
During the interaction, he said that natural fury has caused unprecedented damage across the state, but the state government is carrying out massive operations for the rescue and relief of the flood-affected people.
Mann said that the state government has already taken several steps to give relief to the people in this unprecedented situation. The Chief Minister said that the state government is committed to bailing out the people in the flood-ravaged districts of the state, adding that directions have been passed to evacuate the people in marooned areas and immediately provide relief to them.
All the departments across the districts have been asked to work in unison to ensure that people get maximum relief in this hour of crisis, he said.
Asserting that the state government will compensate the people for the loss of every single penny incurred by them, CM Mann said that he is regularly monitoring the situation unfolding in the state due to the natural disaster.
The Chief Minister also visited Rara Bridge to take stock of the situation at ground level in the flood-affected areas. He said that he had already written a letter to the Prime Minister and urged him to release Rs 60,000 crore that was stuck with the Centre.
He said that the recent floods have impacted more than 1000 villages across the state and have affected lakhs of people. The Chief Minister said that heavy monsoon rains, coupled with the release of water from dams, have caused extensive flooding in more than 10 districts. He said that the situation is still evolving as there is a grave concern that conditions may further deteriorate in the coming days.
Mann said that at present, about three lakh acres of farmland, primarily paddy fields, have submerged under floodwater, leading to devastating crop losses just weeks before harvest. In addition, the Chief Minister said that there has been a widespread loss of livestock, which is severely impacting rural households whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on dairy and animal husbandry. He said that a strong multi-department workforce is already working around the clock, on the ground, to complete the relief and rescue work.
He said that the breaches along the flooded rivers are being plugged, and medical teams are being deployed to provide preventive care against diseases in every village.