Govt depts launch cleanup ops across Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Updated At : 08:02 AM Sep 15, 2025 IST

Veterinary officials examine buffaloes at as part of a statewide drive on Sunday.

Punjab Government departments on Sunday launched statewide cleanup operations to prevent the outbreak of disease in flood-ravaged areas.

This comes a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a Rs 100-crore campaign to remove silt deposited by rivers in the fields, cleanup village ponds, set up medical camps and prevent infectious diseases among animals.

Huge swathes of land have been covered with silt in the state as standing crops on around 4.81 lakh acres were damaged by floodwaters.

According to estimates, the floods have impacted close to 2.53 lakh animals in 713 villages, with a large number of cattle either washed away or killed.

Earlier, veterinarians had sounded an alarm about the heightened risk of infectious diseases among livestock, especially milch animals, after the floodwaters recede across Punjab.

They fear that harmful bacteria may also enter the milk supply after cows and buffaloes are exposed to contaminated water and fodder infected by pathogens.

Under the Animal Husbandry Department drive, free booster doses of haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) vaccine, used to prevent bacterial diseases, will be administered to livestock by September 30. Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the department had prepared an action plan, which would be implemented by September 21.

The plan includes measures to protect domesticated animals from water-borne diseases and other pathogenic infections. Khudian said an intensive cleaning and disinfection of all affected livestock shelters and feeding areas would be undertaken.

The department will also distribute potassium permanganate crystals to farmers free of cost to disinfect water troughs to prevent fatal infections like foot-rot.

Meanwhile, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said the state government had deputed nodal chairmen and members to help in the assessment of flood damage and ensure effective execution of relief and rehabilitation works.

He said the government had identified 2,303 villages that required urgent support.

“These chairmen and members will supervise distribution of relief material, assist in assessing crop loss, damage to houses and livestock and facilitate timely claims of affected families so that compensation and assistance are provided without any delay,” he said.

The minister directed all deputy commissioners to extend full cooperation to the nodal representatives by sharing relevant data and resources. A special 10-day cleanliness drive has also been launched for affected urban areas.

Local Government Minister Ravjot Singh said the measures to be taken under the drive included cleanliness campaigns, supply of potable water supply and preventive health care steps.

Health Minister Balbir Singh too issued orders for a massive mobilisation of the state’s entire medical fraternity, including government doctors, private volunteers, ayurveda medical officers and MBBS interns — to spearhead the department drive in flood-ravaged villages.

The minister said the campaign is built on three core components, with first being the holding of health and medical camps. In 596 villages having Aam Aadmi Clinics, medical camps will be held daily. In the remaining 1,707 villages, medical camps will be held at public spaces like schools and community centres for a minimum of three days, extendable based on need.

Govt depts launch cleanup ops across Punjab

Tribune News Service

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