Punjab floods: Farmlands under water, thousands displaced, says Cong leader

Sultanpur Lodhi (Punjab), Aug 27 (IANS) Saying entire farmlands are under water, homes are destroyed, and thousands have been displaced Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district, Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Wednesday visited flood-affected areas and met families.  

During his visit, he met villagers and farmers who have lost everything and directly called out the AAP government for its failure to protect the state from yet another devastating flood.

Speaking to the media, Bajwa said: “I saw the pain and destruction with my own eyes. Entire farmlands are under water, homes are destroyed, and thousands have been displaced. Yet, the Bhagwant Mann government is busy issuing press releases instead of delivering real relief.”

He accused the government of making tall claims with no ground impact.

“They boasted about spending Rs 230 crore on flood prevention, desilting 4,766 km of waterways, constructing over a thousand check dams, planting bamboo saplings, and storing sandbags. But when the floods came, these measures collapsed like a house of cards. Villages are drowning, and farmers have been left helpless,” he said.

The Congress legislator also targeted Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, saying: "The minister claimed Rs 276 crore spent on 1,220 projects, GIS-mapped sandbags, check dams, and high-tech SCADA systems. But as I travelled today, I saw no protection, no preparedness, and no relief for the victims. These were hollow boasts made to mislead the people.”

Highlighting the scale of the crisis, Bajwa said: “Hundreds of villages in the area have farmland submerged. Seven entire villages in Pathankot and Gurdaspur have been cut off. In Kapurthala alone, 8,000 people displaced, with thousand acres of paddy destroyed. This is not just a natural disaster -- it is a man-made failure due to the Mann government’s negligence.”

Bajwa reminded the media of CM Mann’s own promises.

“Bhagwant Mann once said his government would compensate even for goats and hens. Yet farmers who have lost entire crops and livestock have not received a single rupee. Special girdawaris and full compensation remain just paper announcements,” he said.

Adding a human dimension to the tragedy, Bajwa recounted: “A woman shared her pain with us and said she had to pawn her earrings just to rent a boat and rescue her family, while the government continues to sleep.”

He further lambasted the Chief Minister for being absent during the crisis.

“Despite repeated warnings of heavy monsoon rains, the government stayed reactive instead of preparing in advance. Illegal mining continues along riverbanks, weakening embankments. And when Punjab needed leadership, the Chief Minister was missing in action,” Bajwa said.

Laying out his demands, Bajwa said: “The government must immediately release Rs 51,000 per acre for farmers who have suffered total crop loss and Rs 31,000 per acre for partial damage. At least 60 per cent compensation should be given right away without waiting for any approvals. Compensation for livestock and property damages must also be delivered without any delay. Enough of hollow announcements -- Punjab’s people need real support today.”

--IANS

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