Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 6 : As the floods wreak havoc in Punjab, Congress on Saturday arranged for relief material for the flood-affected victims in many districts of the state.
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said that trucks carrying essential supplies of food were dispatched to Firozpur and informed that the party was sending relief material to all the affected places.
"Punjab Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring sent the relief material. Punjab incharge Bhupesh Baghel will flag off this. Four trucks of relief supplies have been dispatched to Firozpur. Congress is sending this material to all the affected places. It has packets of food for people and 'chaara' for livestock. We have plenty of rations now. People have also managed to send relief material," the Amritsar MP said.
"The food grains in 40 -50 villages have been destroyed completely. We have to help people till November," Aujla added.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Rural Development Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that about 24,930 people have been affected by floods in the state, with 40 villages inundated.
Fazilika district is among the worst hit, with 22,652 people impacted, particularly in the Jalalabad and Fazilka constituencies.
"Due to floods in the Fazilka district, Jalalabad and Fazilka constituencies are most affected. Approximately 24,930 people have been affected, with 40 villages impacted by floods," said Sond.
He added that around 4,200 people have been shifted to safer locations. Moreover, 30 relief camps have also been established in the district. "17 government buildings have been affected in floods...4 teams of NDRF, two teams of Army, one team of BSF have been deployed in Fazilka," he said.
According to the minister, 8,600 ration kits were distributed to people affected by the floods.
"We are providing relief material to every family affected by the floods. Almost 8600 ration kits have been distributed," he said.
Despite ongoing relief efforts, heavy rains continue to worsen the situation.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed deep anguish over the devastation caused by heavy rains, cloudbursts and floods across north India, saying the monsoon fury has left behind a trail of "death and destruction" in several states.
"I have been deeply anguished every time I have come to know about natural calamities during the monsoon this year. Cloudbursts in the hills and floods in the plains have taken a heavy toll, leaving death and destruction in their wake in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Assam and many other parts of the country," President Murmu said in a post on X.
She extended solidarity with those affected and praised officials engaged in rescue and relief efforts.
"The nation shares the sorrow of the people affected by calamities and is with them in this crisis. I commend the spirit of those involved in the rescue and relief operations. Together we will overcome this challenge," the President added.