Chandigarh, Aug. 30 – Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has set up a three-member committee of senior officials to directly oversee rescue and relief operations in flood-hit districts, saying the state government will “leave no stone unturned” to help people caught in the crisis.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting, Mann said the panel — comprising officers from the Revenue, Water Resources, and Food and Civil Supplies departments — will be stationed permanently in Amritsar and other worst-affected areas. He instructed deputy commissioners and district officers to strictly implement the committee’s directions so relief material reaches those in need without delay.
“The government is fully committed to bringing the people out of this crisis,” Mann said. “The sole purpose of scaling up relief operations is to provide maximum assistance to every affected family.”
The Chief Minister also directed Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha to personally tour flood-ravaged districts to strengthen coordination on the ground. Mann said the state machinery must be deployed at full capacity to make the rescue and relief work more effective.
Officials briefed the meeting that rising river levels from upstream hill states had worsened conditions in Punjab. Mann noted that water discharge in the Ravi River has touched 14.11 lakh cusecs — the highest ever recorded. “Even during the worst floods of 1988, the Ravi had received only 11.20 lakh cusecs,” he said. The Chief Minister added that Punjab has already written to Haryana and Rajasthan, urging them to release more water to ease the burden.
Mann said the Indian Army is active in five flood-affected districts and working alongside the state administration with equipment and manpower. The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 17 teams across Punjab. “Every possible resource is being used to rescue people and provide them with safety,” the Chief Minister said.
Officials reported that evacuation of stranded families is progressing on a war footing, while parallel efforts are underway to assess damages and curb the spread of disease. Mann praised government employees for working “day and night” in the affected zones.
The Chief Minister instructed health teams to reach every village to provide medical aid, particularly to prevent outbreaks of water-borne illnesses. He also ordered that breaches in river embankments be repaired swiftly to minimize further flooding.
