Punjab floods: Ludhiana on alert; death toll reaches 43, crops on 1.7 lakh hectares destroyed

The Ludhiana district administration has issued a high alert after an embankment in the eastern part of the district came under intense pressure due to the heavy flow of water from the Sutlej. Authorities have warned that several villages are at the risk of flooding if the embankment weakens further.

Villages at risk are Sasrali, Boont, Rawat, Hawas, Seera, Boothgarh, Mangli Tanda, Dheri, Khawajke, Khassi Khurd, Mangli Kadar, Mattewara, Mangat, and Meharban.

Residents in low-lying and single-storey houses have been advised to shift to upper floors or move temporarily to safer locations. Relief centres have been set up at Satsang Ghars along Rahon road, Chandigarh road, and Tibba road, as well as at Kailash Nagar, Khassi Kalan, Bhukhri, and various schools and mandis in Mattewara.

Advisory 

The district administration has urged residents to:

Keep important documents in waterproof bags.

Prioritise moving the elderly, children, and the sick to safety.

Stay alert and cooperate with rescue teams.

Helpline numbers have been made available:

Flood Control Room: 0161-2433 100

Emergency Helpline: 112

"People’s cooperation is vital. Protecting lives is our top priority," said a district official.

Punjab is reeling under one of the worst flood disasters in decades, caused by the overflowing Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, coupled with torrential rain in Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

According to the state government:

1,902 villages across 23 districts have been affected.

3.84 lakh people are impacted.

20,972 people have been evacuated.

Crops on 1.71 lakh hectares have been destroyed.

The death toll has risen to 43, with the highest casualties reported in:

Hoshiarpur (7)

Pathankot (6)

Barnala and Amritsar (5 each)

Ludhiana and Bathinda (4 each)

Three individuals remain missing in Pathankot.

Relief efforts

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has deployed gazetted officers in every flood-affected village to ensure direct coordination and effective relief operations. Mann emphasised that immediate solutions will be provided to those in need.

A special ‘girdawari’ has been ordered to assess damage to crops, property, and infrastructure.