Punjab deluge: Shivraj Chouhan flags illegal mining behind weak embankments; assures multi-term rehab

After his visit to flood-ravaged Punjab on Thursday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said the government would work on short, medium and long term plans to lift the border state out of the current crisis.

Describing the situation in Punjab as a "deluge", Chouhan said he would present a detailed ground assessment report on damages to farmlands, farmers and livestock to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre would come up with a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package.

"PM Modi is deeply concerned about the situation in Punjab. It was upon his direction that I visited the state yesterday. There is a deluge-like situation in Punjab. Crops have been damaged. In this hour of distress, the Central Government stands with the people and farmers of Punjab," Chouhan said.

He said the need of the hour was planned redevelopment of flood-affected regions of the state.

"To lift Punjab out of the current crisis, we need a short-term, medium-term and long-term plan," the minister said.

He said he would present his report to the PM and described the crisis as "tremendous”.

"The crisis is humongous but we will leave no stone unturned in lifting the state out of it. It is equally important that the AAP government in Punjab works on ground with all seriousness," the minister said.

He said once water recedes, there would be a danger of infections. "Dead animals would need to be disposed of properly to prevent any epidemic. Silt has deposited across farms. We will need to make a desilting plan to save the next crop," Chouhan added.

The minister recalled that when late AB Vajpayee was PM and late Parkash Singh Badal was Punjab Chief Minister, the Centre had erected embankments around major rivers Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Ghaggar to save farmlands and crops in the event of a crisis.

"Due to illegal mining, these embankments have been weakened and water has entered villages. We need to restore these embankments to prevent a future crisis," Chouhan said after his spot assessment of Punjab's Amritsar, Pathankot and Gurdaspur belts.

The minister also saluted Punjab's spirit of service at the time of this calamity.

He said, "I witnessed Punjab's spirit of sewa, how social activists are going village to village to distribute relief, food, clothes and medicines. I salute Punjab's spirit of sewa. The service of a distressed individual is equivalent to the worship of God. Neighbouring states have also come forward to help. This sense of unity in crisis gives us the strength to overcome all difficulties," Chouhan said.