Harbhajan Singh Appeals To PM Modi As Punjab Grapples With Devastating Floods

A severe flood situation in Punjab continues to wreak havoc as moderate to heavy rains batter the state, prompting cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the crisis on Sunday.

In a post on X, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Singh highlighted the scale of the disaster.

“Many villages are severely affected, and countless farmers (kisans) are suffering immense losses as their standing crops have been destroyed. For a state that is known as the food bowl of India, this crisis has left people in distress, without food security and with their livelihoods shattered,” he wrote.

Call for Immediate Support

Singh urged the Central government to intervene immediately. He called for the deployment of rescue and relief operations, including the Army and the NDRF. He emphasised the need for emergency food supplies, shelters, medical aid, and financial and agricultural support for farmers who have lost their crops.

The flood situation has also drawn criticism from Punjab’s state authorities.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal accused the Union government of exacerbating the worst floods in 37 years. He cited delays in water release by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in June, which, if timely, could have mitigated the destruction.

The Minister further criticised Haryana’s approach, alleging that the neighbouring state offered help. At the same time, it reduced Punjab’s share of water flow during the monsoon to safeguard its canals and population.

Minister Goyal explained that heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, combined with water from ‘khuds’ and ‘nullahs’ converging into Punjab’s rivers, has caused unprecedented floods. These floods have surpassed even the catastrophic 1988 floods.

The Ranjit Sagar Dam released 2.15 lakh cusecs of water into the Ravi River. However, additional inflows from adjoining states worsened the devastation.

Thousands of farmers have been affected, and villages remain submerged, leaving the state in an urgent humanitarian crisis. This situation underscores the need for swift central assistance to prevent further loss and help restore livelihoods.

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