Chandigarh: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced that the Punjab government has decided to canalise all rivers in the state with the technical support of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. After an aerial survey to assess the damage caused by floods in Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala) and Jalandhar areas, the chief minister announced a project to realign river streams and courses, besides strengthening and widening of river embankments for a permanent solution to the problem of floods.
He also promised due compensation to the affected farmers in Sarupwal of Sultanpur Lodhi, as soon as the water receded. A special ‘girdwari’ (loss assessment) of crops will be carried out once the water recedes. The state government will stop all development works to fund the flood relief operations and compensation if the Centre does not release them adequate grants, Amarinder said.
He also announced dedicated relief teams in the affected areas. Each team will comprise officials from the health, civil supplies and animal husbandry departments and ensure regular and timely supply of food, medicines and fodder. In response to a question, he said nothing would be allowed to hamper the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev and his government is preparing to celebrate the historic occasion in a befitting manner
Seeks relief package from Centre
In the wake of flood situation in the state, Capt Amarinder wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking £100 mn special relief package to compensate the losses. The Chief Minister has also urged the Prime Minister to instruct the concerned authorities to waive off crop loans of banks or financial institutions availed by the affected farmers in the affected villages during the current cropping season.
The flooding in river Sutlej due to the discharge of water from Bhakra Dam led to a breach in the embankment, affecting 62 villages, the heaviest since 1958, had caused extensive damage to the standing crops and inundation of residential areas in the villages. Realising the gravity of the situation, the state government had declared it a natural calamity in the affected areas, said the Chief Minister, adding that though necessary assistance was given by the Army authorities, the floods in river Sutlej had severely damaged standing crops, houses and other rural and urban infrastructure at many places, especially in the districts of Ropar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Kapurthala covering over 100 villages. The Chief Minister said he had instructed the concerned officers of the state government to prepare the required memorandum for a special package for consideration of the central government in due course.
