All-terrain vehicles deployed in flood-hit Sultanpur Lodhi

While 10 motorboats, including those of the State Disaster Response Force, Public Works Department and social organisations are already operating in the area, LoP Partap Bajwa urged JSW, all-terrain vehicle manufacturer, to carry out relief and rescue operations.

Given the fact that the water level has been increasing with each passing day, these amphibious vehicles can ferry eight persons.

Riding through the floodwater, Bajwa said, “Pople are worried due the rising water level. It struck my mind that all-terrain vehicles are the need of the hour.”

The JSW staff said, “We will be here as long as the community wants us.”

Bajwa demanded Rs 51,000 per acre relief for total crop loss and Rs 31,000 for partial damage.

The LoP accused the AAP government of making tall claims with no ground impact. “AAP boasted about spending Rs 230 crore on flood prevention, desilting 4,766 km of waterways, constructing over 1,000 check dams, planting bamboo saplings and storing sandbags. But when it started flooding, all measures collapsed like a house of cards. There’s no protection, preparedness and relief for flood-hit victims,” he said.

The anti-government sentiment was palpable as Minister for Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Hardeep Singh Mundian announced girdawari and complete compensation for the crop loss.

“The memories of 2023 floods still haunt us. We have not been able to recover from the losses so far. We were promised full compensation but the relief amount was too little,” said Sarabjit Singh, a farmer from Baupur Mand.

The rescue operations carried out by AAP MP Balbir Sing Seechewal have saved the day for the party.

Earlier, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh had visited the affected villages.

Locals said had the government paid a heed to their warnings in time, their crops would have been safe.

Local MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh said, “I had asked the government to release water from Harike headworks in time. Now, they are releasing over 2 lakh cusecs of water. Had they taken the same step earlier, all these villages would have been safe today.”