Relief efforts continue at full pace, and coordination between state and central agencies is ongoing.
As thousands of families face displacement and destruction, the unbreakable spirit of Punjab stands tall, unshaken, united, and unstoppable.
The Ludhiana district administration has issued a high alert after an embankment in the eastern part of the district came under intense pressure due to the heavy flow of water from the Sutlej river. Authorities have warned that several villages are at risk of flooding if the embankment-locally known as the “bundh” weakens further.
Villages at risk are Sasrali, Boont, Rawat, Hawas, Seera, Boothgarh, Mangli Tanda, Dheri, Khawajke, Khassi Khurd, Mangli Kadar, Mattewara, Mangat, and Meharban.
Residents in low-lying and single-storey homes have been advised to shift to upper floors or move temporarily to safer locations. Relief centres have been set up at Satsang Ghars along Rahon (Ghonsgarh), Chandigarh, and Tibba roads, as well as at Kailash Nagar, Khassi Kalan, Bhukhri, and various schools and mandis in Mattewara.
Advisory
The district administration has urged residents to:
Keep important documents in waterproof bags.
Prioritise moving elderly, children, and the sick to safety.
Stay alert and cooperate with rescue teams.
Helpline numbers have been made available:
Flood Control Room: 0161-2433100
Emergency Helpline: 112
“People’s cooperation is vital. Protecting lives is our top priority,” said a district official.
Punjab is reeling under one of the worst flood disasters in decades, caused by the overflowing Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, coupled with torrential rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and parts of Punjab.
According to the state government:
1,902 villages across 23 districts have been affected.
3.84 lakh people are impacted.
20,972 people have been evacuated.
Crops on 1.71 lakh hectares have been destroyed.
The death toll has risen to 43, with the highest casualties reported in:
Hoshiarpur (7)
Pathankot (6)
Barnala and Amritsar (5 each)
Ludhiana and Bathinda (4 each)
Three individuals remain missing in Pathankot.
Relief efforts
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has deployed gazetted officers in every flood-affected village to ensure direct coordination and effective relief operations. Mann emphasized that immediate solutions will be provided to those in need.
A special ‘girdawari’ (survey of losses) has been ordered to assess damages to crops, property, and infrastructure.
The Bhakra Dam neared its maximum capacity of 1,680 feet. On Thursday, 85,000 cusecs of water was released, prompting the Rupnagar and Patiala district administrations to issue evacuation alerts for low-lying areas near the Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers.