Owing to continuous heavy rainfall, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are grappling with rising flood levels. In response, on Sunday, Bram Shankar Jimpa, Minister of Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster Management; Harbhajan Singh ETO, Minister of Power and PWD; and Dr. Balbir Singh, Health Minister, visited various flood-impacted areas to evaluate the circumstances and monitor ongoing relief operations.
An official spokesperson from the Punjab government announced that the local MLAs and state officials are prepared to address any crisis resulting from the persistent rain. He assured that the state government has made comprehensive preparations to confront these situations.
Following the directive, Minister Bram Shankar Jimpa, accompanied by senior district officials, surveyed the affected regions of Hoshiarpur and Adampur. He instructed officials to extend all necessary support to the flood victims, acting upon the directions from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The spokesperson also mentioned that the Revenue Department has initiated procedures to release funds to manage the flood-like situation.
Further, Power and PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO visited Malowal and Dharar, two flood-affected villages in Amritsar district. He urged the district administration to prioritise draining rainwater accumulated in fields and residential areas. The District Commissioner of Amritsar, Amit Talwar, assured the Minister that they have adequate provisions in place to address any eventualities due to heavy rainfall.
Additionally, he informed that residents near the Ravi river have been notified about the release of water from the dam, and arrangements have been made to relocate them to safer regions.
Dr Balbir Singh, the Health and Family Welfare Minister, along with Deputy Commissioner Patiala Sakshi Sawhney, assessed the flood-stricken low-lying regions in Patiala’s rural areas. He directed immediate water removal from these areas using JCB and pumping machines. Dr Singh reassured the public not to panic, stating that the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has prepared comprehensively to handle any flood-related emergencies.
