New Delhi [India], September 9 : Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday called for substantial financial support from the central government to help Punjab and Himachal Pradesh recover from the devastating floods.
Describing the floods as the most severe in Punjab since 1988, Tewari emphasised that both states, being border regions, require not just empathy but sustained financial backing to rebuild lives and livelihoods.
Speaking to ANI, Tweari said, "After 1988, this has been the most devastating flood in Punjab. There has been widespread destruction, public infrastructure, private infrastructure. There has been loss of human lives. Lakhs of cattle have been impacted, other domesticated animals have been affected. If you go by anecdotal reports, they seem to suggest that a lot of them have been swept away, some even to Pakistan," Tewari said.
He added, "Himachal Pradesh similarly has been facing some very extreme weather events. So under those circumstances, the Prime Minister needs to be extremely generous. They need to open their purse strings. Punjab is a border state. Himachal Pradesh is a border state."
Tewari stressed that beyond empathy, both states required "solid, sustained financial support" to rebuild lives and livelihoods affected by the floods.
"And in addition to empathy, what Punjab and Himachal Pradesh require is solid, sustained financial support to be able to rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the people," the Congress MP said.
The devastating monsoon in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 370 lives since June 20, including 205 deaths in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, drowning, lightning strikes, and other weather-triggered accidents, and 165 fatalities in road accidents, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said on Tuesday.
Public infrastructure has taken a massive hit, with damages amounting to over Rs 4,12,246.97 lakh. This includes losses to the Public Works Department, Jal Shakti Vibhag, power infrastructure, health, and education facilities. Agriculture and horticulture alone suffered combined damages worth more than Rs 3,77,000 lakh, crippling the livelihood of thousands of farmers.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in Punjab has worsened, with the death toll rising to 51, according to the Department of Information and Public Relations, Punjab. On Sunday, the death toll was at 46.
The heavy monsoon rains over the past week have caused rivers to swell and inundated several districts across the state, leaving thousands affected and prompting large-scale relief operations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on Tuesday to review the flood-related situation. He will undertake an aerial survey of the flood and landslide-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh.