Punjab Floods: Death Toll Rises to 46, Three More Lives Lost in Amritsar and Rupnagar

Punjab revenue, rehabilitation, and disaster management minister Hardeep Singh Mundian announced on Saturday that three more lives were lost due to floods in Amritsar and Rupnagar districts in the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 46 across 14 districts. He further informed that three individuals are still reported missing in Pathankot district. In the last 24 hours, 48 more villages were affected, impacting 2,691 residents and damaging 2,131 hectares of farmland. So far, 1,996 villages across 22 districts have suffered due to flooding, leaving over 3.87 lakh people grappling with its consequences.

Providing an update on relief efforts, the minister said 925 more people were rescued in the last 24 hours, taking the total evacuation count to 22,854. At present, 139 relief camps are functional, sheltering 6,121 displaced individuals, while 219 such camps have been set up since floods began. Agriculture has also taken a heavy hit, with an additional 2,131 hectares of crops destroyed, raising the overall damaged area to 1.74 lakh hectares across 18 districts. For rescue operations, 23 NDRF teams are deployed in Amritsar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Ferozepur, and Rupnagar, alongside two SDRF teams in Kapurthala.

The minister further added that 27 army columns and seven Engineer Task Forces are actively working in the flood-affected regions. Nine helicopters from the Indian Army and Air Force are deployed for relief missions, while the BSF is extending support in the Ferozepur sector. In addition to this, 158 rescue boats have been mobilized, supported by a state helicopter for rapid response. Together, these coordinated efforts are ensuring that timely aid reaches the flood-hit areas, with security forces, disaster management teams, and state agencies working in close coordination to minimize loss of life and property.