Modi to Visit Flood-hit Punjab, Himachal Pradesh on September 9

New Delhi/Chandigarh/Shimla: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on September 9 to take stock of the flood situation and the widespread damage caused by incessant rains. During the visit, Mr Modi is expected to tour the flood-affected areas and meet the families and the farmers to assess the damage in both the states.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said that the Prime Minister is deeply concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and is closely monitoring it. In a post on X, Mr Jakhar said that the PM is visiting Punjab on September 9 to personally assess the local conditions and understand the ground realities to provide maximum assistance to the people of Punjab.

“Earlier, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Chauhan was sent to evaluate the situation. Two Central government teams, which visited to assess the damage caused by the floods in Punjab, are set to submit their reports to the Central government after their tour. The government of India stands firmly with the people of Punjab,” Mr Jakhar said.

Mr Chouhan visited the flood-hit parts in Punjab's Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala districts on September 4 and inspected the extent of crop damage. Calling it a situation of "jal pralai" (deluge), Union agriculture minister assured farmers that the Centre will make every effort to bail them out of this crisis.

Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets have flooded large parts of Punjab following heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, heavy rain in Punjab over the past few days has aggravated the flooding.

According to officials, the death toll due to the floods in Punjab stands at 46 so far, while crops on 1.75 lakh hectares of farmland have been damaged.

Confirming the Prime Minister's visit to Himachal Pradesh on September 9, state Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said that Mr Modi will take stock of the widespread damage caused in the state due to landslides and incessant rains.

Mr Thakur, in a press statement issued, said that he will also be present in Dharamshala to brief the Prime Minister about the destruction across the state. He also launched a scathing attack on the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government and accused it of snatching away people's rights and benefits since coming to power.

Earlier, Mr Thakur visited Bagra Thach and Bahel Sainj villages in the Seraj Legislative Assembly constituency, where he met families affected by landslides. He said about 50 houses have been impacted, of which at least 12 houses have been completely destroyed, forcing the people to take shelter in the local school.

Mr Thakur also distributed relief material among affected families and urged the state government to ensure quick rehabilitation and financial assistance. He also appealed to people to remain cautious during the ongoing heavy rainfall.