PM Modi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. (Photo: X/Narendra Modi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial inspection of the flood-hit districts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to asses the degree of damage due to the recent cloudbursts, heavy rains, and landslides. His one-day visit focused on the central government's narrative to extending all-round relief and rehabilitation efforts to assist the affected communities to pick up the pieces and rebuild.
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PM Modi started his tour in Himachal Pradesh, visiting the most devastated areas such as Mandi and Kullu districts. The aerial inspection showed the extent of damage brought about by the heavy monsoon rains and following landslides that greatly affected the infrastructure, residences, and agricultural fields of the area. After the survey, he called a review meeting at high level in Kangra with senior state authorities, including Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, to talk about relief measures immediately and rehabilitation efforts on a long-term basis.
Realising the immediate requirement of financial support, the Prime Minister announced a relief package of ₹1,500 crore for Himachal Pradesh. This fund includes support for rebuilding houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), repair of national highways, rehabilitation of schools, and supply of mini-kits to livestock for sustaining rural livelihoods. Besides that, PM Modi stressed the need to assist farmers who had their power connections cut off, providing support through the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
The Prime Minister also complimented the efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Aapda Mitra volunteers in relief and rescue operations, emphasising the significance of their work in dealing with such natural disasters.
Following his assessment in Himachal, PM Modi proceeded to Punjab, which is grappling with its worst flood situation since 1988. He conducted an aerial survey over key affected districts, including Gurdaspur, where rivers like the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi have swelled drastically, inundating vast agricultural lands and displacing thousands. During a subsequent meeting with officials and elected representatives, PM Modi reviewed ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.
For Punjab, the Prime Minister made an announcement of a financial relief package worth ₹1,600 crore, which goes in addition to the ₹12,000 crore so far spent by the state government on flood control. To compensate for the losses incurred by families, an ex-gratia allowance of ₹2 lakh has been approved for the next of kin of the victims, and seriously injured people will get ₹50,000. The government is giving top priority to offering instant relief, reconstruction of houses, repairing damaged infrastructure, and helping the agricultural sector, primarily the farmers hit by destroyed borewells and loss of power lines.
In both the states, PM Modi urged a multi-dimensional strategy of rehabilitation with focus on infrastructure rebuilding and restoration of livelihoods. He stressed the importance of right coordination between central and state agencies, quick and transparent assessment of damage through geotagging technologies, and increased facilitation to vulnerable groups including farmers and vulnerable rural households.
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The response strategy hopefully demonstrates government's commitment to stand side by side with the people hit by the devastating floods in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and restore the regions on their feet quickly and in a sustainable manner, so that life gets back on track soon enough in the those flood-hit regions.
