Punjab reels under devastating floods, CM Mann slams Centre over inadequate relief

Ludhiana: Following heavy rainfall and the overflowing of the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, compounded by rivulets from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, authorities declared all 23 districts of Punjab flood-affected in late August and September. An estimated 1,900 villages were submerged, affecting nearly four lakh people. As of last week, 55 people had lost their lives, while crops on 1.93 lakh hectares were destroyed.

According to state estimates, the total damage amounts to about Rs 13,800 crore. However, the Union government has announced only Rs 1,600 crore in assistance. While announcing the package, the Union government suggested that Punjab could utilise nearly Rs 12,000 crore available in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF).

The Union government has argued that its allocation was limited because nearly Rs 13,000 crore in the SDRF remains unspent. Critics, however, have strongly refuted this claim, calling it “illogical.” They argue that under existing norms, the Union government is responsible for contributing 75 percent of disaster relief funds, yet it has been “shifting the burden entirely onto Punjab.” They also alleged that nearly Rs 8,000 crore meant for the state’s rural development fund has been withheld.

Mann, meanwhile, asked what could be done with just Rs 1,600 crore when 1,900 villages need to be rebuilt, calling the assistance a “mere drop in the ocean.”

Relief and rehabilitation efforts are ongoing across Punjab. Fourteen Army columns, eight National Disaster Response Force teams, two State Disaster Response Force teams, and two Engineer Task Force units have been deployed. However, with thousands still displaced, water-borne diseases pose a looming threat.

Opposition- ruled states have long accused the Union government of discriminatory relief practices. In Kerala, after the 2018 floods, the Union government demanded repayment for rice distributed to victims. Similarly, during the July 2024 Wayanad landslides, Kerala sought Rs 2,219 crore but received only Rs 368 crore.

Mann said Punjab was being subjected to “economic strangulation” as part of a broader attempt by the Union government to pressure opposition- led state governments into accepting its terms.