Modi to visit Punjab tomorrow, will survey flood-ravaged areas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit flood-affected areas of Punjab on September 9, as confirmed by both the state BJP unit and official sources.

The visit schedule was finalised on Sunday morning and shared with the Punjab Government. After casting his vote in the vice-presidential election on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will travel to the state to assess the flood situation.

The Tribune reported on the PM’s scheduled visit to Punjab on September 9 in its Sunday edition. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar confirmed the schedule via a social media post, saying, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is deeply concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and is closely monitoring it. He is visiting Punjab on September 9 to personally assess local conditions and understand the ground realities to provide maximum assistance to the people of Punjab.”

Jakhar added that Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had already been sent to assess the situation. He also noted that two central teams, which had toured the state to evaluate the flood damage, were all set to submit their reports to the Centre. He assured that the “government stands firmly with the people of Punjab”.

PM Modi is expected to arrive in Pathankot to conduct an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. From there, he will travel by air to assess the damage in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, before covering affected regions of Punjab and landing in Gurdaspur. The sources said the PM was likely to hold a review meeting with Punjab state officials in Gurdaspur.

The areas to be reviewed include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Ropar and parts of Moga, Nawanshahr, Sangrur and Barnala. The PM is also expected to assess flood damage to border posts and fences along the International Border in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

The floods have submerged nearly 4 lakh acres of farmland in Punjab. Jakhar said the damage to standing crops had been 100 per cent.

Chouhan had visited the flood-affected regions of Punjab on September 4, where he inspected the extent of crop damage, referring to it as a “jal pralay” (water calamity). He reassured farmers that the Centre would make every effort to support them during this crisis.

Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, along with seasonal rivulets, have inundated large parts of the state following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, recent heavy rainfall in Punjab has worsened the situation.