Punjab flooded but not fallen: Trucks, troops & langar in frame as relief rolls into distant villages

Punjab: Punjab is in the midst of one of its worst floods since 1988, with 23 districts affected, 48 lives lost, and crops on 1.76 lakh hectares damaged, say officials.

While distributing daily essentials to the flood-affected villages, a group of people said, “Punjab has fallen but will rise again.” It, however, will take some time, they added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Gurdaspur Tuesday. He conducted an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by the floods and monitor the ongoing relief efforts.

Across Punjab, four lakh hectares of paddy fields remain flooded, according to initial estimates. The most-affected districts lie in the region surrounded by the three rivers, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. These include Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Kapurthala, and Mansa.

The three rivers have been flowing above their danger levels in the aftermath of excessive rains in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Tractors on the way to flood-affected villages, with critical supplies, like medicines and food | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

An aerial view of the fields and houses submerged in floodwater | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

At least four lakh hectares of land under paddy cultivation remains flooded across Punjab | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

A farmer walking through his flooded field. Crops on 1.76 lakh hectares have been damaged | ThePrint | Suraj Singh Bisht

Most villagers are living on rooftops after the floodwater inundated entire localities | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Locals leading relief & rehabilitation efforts say that Punjab has fallen but will rise again | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Local villagers standing outside their houses waiting for daily essentials which are being distributed in tractors | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

People rushed towards the tractor to collect the food and daily essential | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Trucks with critical supplies going to the villages affected by the Punjab flood | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

People going to distribute langar in flood affected villages | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Army personnel transport boats in truck to rescue people from flood affected villages | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

DC Sakshi Sawhney and other officials went by boat to know the condition of flood affected areas | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Army personnel arrived to help build temporary roads after roads disappeared due to flood | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Several houses damaged as water level in river Ravi rises | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Three flood gates of Madhopur barrage have collapsed under the pressure of Ravi waters in Punjab’s Pathankot district | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Work to strengthen embankments is on after water levels rise in Ravi river | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)