Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 7 : Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday criticised both the central and Punjab governments over the devastation caused by floods along Punjab's rivers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the flood hit regions of Punjab's Gurdaspur on September 10.
As of Saturday, 46 people have lost their lives due to floods in Punjab, according to the officials.
Earlier, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that nearly 2,000 villages and over four lakh people have been affected.
He said that 24 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are on the ground, supported by 144 boats and a state government helicopter.
He added that the Revenue Department has released Rs 71 crore for relief efforts.
"Yesterday, we saw devastation along the Sutlej and Beas rivers, and today we saw devastation along the Ravi river. The situation here is even worse than before. Due to the mistakes of the central government and the state government, the flood has had such a severe impact," Baghel told ANI in Amritsar.
Bhagel alleged that the Centre has not announced any relief measures for the flood hit regions of Punjab.
He said, "Crops have been destroyed, houses have been damaged, livestock has been swept away. No announcement of help has been made from the state or central government. This is an injustice to Punjab. The people of Punjab are working together by helping each other. People from neighbouring states are also providing support."
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of SAS Nagar, Komal Mittal, on Sunday directed officials from the Municipal Councils and the Rural Development and Panchayat Department to accelerate dewatering operations and restore normalcy in flood-affected areas across the district.
DC Mittal said that cleaning of the Mubarakpur Causeway on the Ghaggar River in Derabassi -- a vital link between Derabassi and Zirakpur -- is underway. Municipal Council teams are simultaneously carrying out cleaning drives and are repairing approach roads to the causeway to ensure safe and smooth connectivity. Similarly, dedicated efforts are being made to drain accumulated water between Bhagat Majra and Palhedi, with heavy machinery and manpower pressed into service.
The DC also emphasized the importance of repairing damaged roads and potholes to restore vehicular movement and reduce public inconvenience at the earliest.
Reviewing arrangements for the reopening of schools, Mittal instructed officers to complete the cleaning of government school premises immediately so that classes could resume from Tuesday without disruption.