Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Punjab on September 9 to take note of the flood situation in the state through an aerial survey. He will most likely visit the neighbouring hill state of Himachal Pradesh also. Parallelly, the Punjab government has estimated a loss of ₹13,289 crore after floods ravaged the state this month.
The national media also reports that Modi will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected area, which also includes the border district. The official date for the survey is yet to be finalised and will be shared by the state government soon. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that the Prime Minister is concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and is closely monitoring it.
“He will visit Punjab on September 9 to personally assess the local conditions and understand the ground realities in order to provide maximum assistance to the people of the state,” said Jakhar.
“As he (PM Modi) lands at Kangra, and if weather permits, he will fly to Bharmour in Chamba district to take stock of the situation, or otherwise is expected to travel by road and then return to Kangra,” said another state BJP leader to the national media. He further added that many pilgrims died in the Manimahesh Yatra.
Central Govt Teams to Assess Flood
Two central government teams are likely to visit Punjab to assess the damage caused by the flood. The report will be submitted to the Centre, while Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier been sent to evaluate the situation. Also, the Prime Minister will himself conduct an aerial survey of the flood-hit zone and land in Pathankot, where he is expected to hold a meeting with the state government leaders and officials.
Two central teams headed by Rajesh Gupta from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Santosh Kumar Tiwari from the Ministry of Rural Development visited Punjab on Saturday to assess the flood situation. In a meeting held with a state delegation headed by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and other administrative officials, a report was submitted to the central teams, noting that an estimated total loss due to the flood is more than ₹13,000 crore. The team also visited Firozpur, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala districts to interact with the affected.
The national media reports that sources close to the Prime Minister’s Office say that Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the urgent need to strengthen embankments along the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers that have weakened over the years due to illegal mining and lack of maintenance.
According to the report submitted to the central teams, the highest loss has been incurred for infrastructure and areas related to rural development and Panchayat development, amounting to almost ₹5,000 crore. Crop damage is estimated at ₹1,858 crore, while loss to water supply is estimated at ₹1,520 crore.
Rural infrastructure like roads, facilities, hospital and school buildings have been severely damaged. Other departments have also reported losses, including agriculture, education, power, higher education, food and civil supplies, animal husbandry and water supply. Both the teams are soon to submit their personal reports to the Union government, while Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has already submitted his report to the Prime Minister in the matter.