Blame game begins in flood-ravaged Punjab; more rain forecast for Jammu

Over 1,000 villages, maximum in Gurdaspur district, and over 61,000 hectares of farmland have been affected by floods in Punjab even as relief and rescue operations gained momentum.

While the opposition parties alleged that the people of Punjab were suffering due to the “incompetence” of the AAP government, state water resources minister Barinder Kumar Goyal claimed that the timely release of water by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which is under the Centre, in June could have significantly reduced the devastation.

In the disaster-struck Jammu region of the neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir, a fresh spell of moderate to heavy rain was expected on Sunday (August 31) morning, which could trigger landslides and flash floods again, the Srinagar meteorology centre said.

This grim warning came even as the Northern Railways on Saturday operated two special trains from Jammu station, carrying over 1,200 stranded passengers to their destinations following unprecedented monsoon havoc that had stalled rail traffic in the region.

Also read: 7 dead in Reasi, 4 in Ramban as J-K reels under cloudbursts, landslides

Request for relief package

In Punjab, some Opposition party leaders wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a special relief package for the state. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, former chief minister Amarinder Singh, and senior Congress leader Sukhbir Singh Badal have urged Modi to announce a special relief package for Punjab.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring blamed the alleged mismanagement of dams and water headworks for the floods in the state and demanded that responsibility be fixed.

He asked why water was allowed to accumulate in the dams upstream and not released on time in a phased manner despite a forecast of heavy rains. It is more of a “criminal negligence” than an unforeseen natural disaster, he said.

‘Poor maintenance’ claim

Warring, who visited various flood-hit parts of Punjab over the last three days, said tens of thousands of people have been left homeless, many have lost their lives, and the loss of crops and livestock is yet to be assessed.

Referring to the crashing of two floodgates of the Madhopur headworks in Pathankot, he alleged that it happened because of poor maintenance.

Since extra water from the headworks was also not released on time, it led to huge pressure and eventually the gates crashed, the Ludhiana MP claimed.

Also read: Himachal rains: Kangra flooded as 5,000 pilgrims remain stranded in Chamba

No official word on loss of lives

Punjab is under the grip of massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts are the worst hit.

While NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities carried out rescue and relief efforts on a war footing in the flood-affected areas, several casualties are feared in the deluge. However, there was no official word on the loss of lives.

Thousands evacuated

In all, 11,330 people have been evacuated so far from the flood-hit areas with the combined efforts of the NDRF, Army, BSF and the district authorities.

Currently, 77 relief camps are fully operational out of 87 set up in flood-affected areas, providing shelter to 4,729 people.

In Kapurthala, 110 people are staying in four camps; in Ferozepur, 3,450 people are housed in eight camps; Hoshiarpur has 20 camps with 478 people; Gurdaspur has 12 active camps with 255 people; Pathankot has 14 camps with 411 people; Barnala has one camp housing 25 people; Fazilka has 11 camps, Moga has five and Amritsar has two.

Several ministers and MLAs were visiting areas ravaged by floods and were taking stock of relief and rescue measures.

Also read: Rising Ganga floods Varanasi ghats; 'aarti', cremations being held on rooftops

Minister slams Centre

State water resources minister Goyal lashed out at the Centre, holding it responsible for the worst flood in the last 37 years. Goyal claimed that the timely release of water by the BBMB in June could have significantly reduced the devastation.

The minister said that even as lakhs of people in Punjab continue to suffer, the prime minister has “not made a single statement on the crisis”, let alone extend any support to the state.

He said despite repeated requests, the BBMB “failed” to release adequate water from the dams in June, which could have helped mitigate the impact of floods in Punjab.

Blame on Haryana

The water resources minister also slammed the BJP government in Haryana.

While the neighbouring state, on one hand, sends letters offering help, on the other, it has also communicated that “Punjab be left to drown” by reducing Haryana’s share of water flow during this monsoon from 7,900 cusecs to 6,250 cusecs to protect its canal systems and population, thereby leaving Punjab to its fate, he said.

State Chief Secretary KAP Sinha on Saturday visited the Pong dam on Beas and flood-affected areas in Mukerian subdivision in Hoshiarpur to review the relief and rescue measures. He later also visited Makora Pattan in the Gurdaspur district.

Also read: Fresh flood alarm in UP as both Ganga and Yamuna rise amid heavy rain

More than 1,000 villages hit

Officials said floods have so far affected 1,018 villages in the state.

These include 81 in Pathankot, 52 in Fazilka, 45 in Tarn Taran, 64 in Sri Muktsar Sahib, 22 in Sangrur, 101 in Ferozepur, 107 in Kapurthala, 323 in Gurdaspur, 85 in Hoshiarpur, and 35 in Moga, they said.

The state has also suffered huge financial losses due to crop damage and livestock loss.

According to reports from district headquarters, 16,632 hectares of farm land have been affected in Fazilka, 10,806 hectares in Ferozepur, 11,620 hectares in Kapurthala, 7,000 hectares in Pathankot, 9,928 hectares in Tarn Taran, and 5,287 hectares in Hoshiarpur.

Grim warning for Jammu again

Meanwhile, the Srinagar meteorology centre has warned of the possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides at a few vulnerable places on Sunday.

“A spell of moderate to heavy rain with brief intense showers is most likely at many places over Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Samba and Udhampur towards early morning between 4 am and 11 am of August 31,” the Met centre said on X.

The weather office asked people to stay away from rivers, nallas and loose structures while remaining updated and alert.

The Union territory has been reeling under a series of heavy rains, cloudbursts and landslides since August 14. So far, at least 130 people have lost their lives and 140 were injured in Jammu, while 32 pilgrims are still missing.

Also read: IAF, Army rescue 800 people as J-K, Punjab grapple with devastating floods

More train cancelled

The Northern Railways announced the cancellation of 51 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu and Katra stations for Sunday, while three others were short-terminated or short-originated at various stations in the division.

The first Jammu Tawi-Ambedkar Nagar reserved special train carrying around 674 passengers departed Jammu at 3 pm, while another Jammu Tawi-Chhapra reserved special left at 5 pm with over 560 passengers on board, officials said.

The Railway Police and civil administration have established a dedicated help desk at the Jammu railway station to assist stranded passengers.

Pilgrims stranded

Scores of people, especially pilgrims, were stranded as heavy rains lashed the Jammu region since August 26, severely disrupting rail and road traffic. A landslide that struck near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra claimed 34 lives. The Jammu region recorded its heaviest rainfall since 1910, at 380 mm by Wednesday.

The list of 51 cancelled trains on Sunday, released by the PRO, Railways Jammu division, also includes three trains with short-origin and short-termination arrangements. Referring to multiple queries about the status of the Katra-Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat trains, the PRO said that services are normal on this route.

On Saturday, the Northern Railways cancelled 46 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu, Katra and Udhampur railway stations. Train traffic has remained suspended for the past five days following heavy rains and flash floods in the Jammu region on Tuesday.

(With agency inputs)