Mann’s letter asserts that the state is facing one of its most severe flood disasters in decades and highlights an urgent need for Central intervention. He points to the inadequacy of current compensation under the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund, proposing an increase to ₹50,000 per acre, a considerable rise from the combined ₹15,000 currently being extended from state and Central contributions. Mann argues this adjustment is imperative given that fields were close to harvest when submerged, compounding the tragedy for farmers.
He further maps out the financial shortfall confronting Punjab, citing permanent losses of ₹49,727 crore due to the transition from VAT to GST without adequate compensation, ₹8,000 crore loss from reductions in rural and mandi‑development funds, and ₹828 crore from scrapped rural road schemes. All these combined contribute to the ₹60,000 crore that Mann asserts is presently “stuck” with the Centre.
Swift escalation of rescue operations and damage assessment efforts are underway. Over 1,300 villages across Punjab have been impacted, marking a sharp rise from the earlier estimate of just over 1,000. At least 14,936 people have been evacuated as of Sunday, with significant operations in Gurdaspur, Ferozepur and Fazilka; 122 relief camps are active, housing more than 6,500 residents.
The scale of agricultural assault is staggering: around three lakh acres of primarily paddy fields remain submerged mere weeks before harvest, and livestock losses are widespread—threatening rural households whose incomes rely heavily on dairy and livestock.
Opposition leaders have decried what they call a dual failure by the Central and state governments. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa condemned compensation of merely ₹6,750 per acre as grossly insufficient, and criticised exclusion of Punjab from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, labelling the scheme “flawed, slow, and burdensome”. He advocated for prompt reforms, including tailored insurance schemes, expanded crop and livestock coverage, and strengthened flood‑mitigation infrastructure, accusing the government of prioritising optics over substance.
On the ground, officials are enforcing a special “girdawari” to document losses accurately ahead of disbursing compensation. In Ferozepur, eight relief camps are operational, and over 3,300 rescues have been carried out by the NDRF, BSF, Army and state teams. Connectivity and drainage challenges persist in remote areas, with dewatering underway in certain villages, and directives issued for rapid restoration of infrastructure. Water‑level monitoring and dam management protocols are also active, as officials collaborate with central forces to contain further deterioration.
The India Meteorological Department has issued red and orange alerts across several districts—including Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Patiala—warning of heavy and moderate rainfall. Authorities caution that further precipitation could overwhelm flood defences and compound the crisis.
Amid the unfolding disaster, the state has extended school closures until 3 September to ensure student safety, and relief agencies ranging from federal forces to local NGOs are coordinating supplies to survivors.
--