Chandigarh, Sept 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Centre stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab battling one of the worst flood disasters in decades.
Before leaving Delhi for a day-long visit to Kangra and Gurdaspur, the Prime Minister wrote on X, “The Government of India stands shoulder to shoulder with those affected in this tragic hour.”
Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the Centre had already released advance assistance of ₹200 crore to Himachal Pradesh and ₹218 crore to Punjab to aid relief operations. “This is only the beginning — further help will follow once assessments are completed,” Thakur noted.
Officials said Modi will first visit Himachal Pradesh, followed by an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Punjab. In Gurdaspur, he is scheduled to meet flood-hit families, review the ground situation with senior officials, and interact with teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Aapda Mitra volunteers.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the Prime Minister has been closely monitoring the situation and expressed “deep concern” over the rising toll. Punjab alone has reported 51 deaths, while crops spread across 1.84 lakh hectares have been damaged.
The floods have been triggered by swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets swollen by heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Torrential downpours in Punjab in recent days have further worsened the crisis.
Tight security arrangements have been made in Gurdaspur ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.
