AMRITSAR – The border region of Ajnala in Amritsar is grappling with severe devastation from a flood crisis, with the swollen Ravi river wreaking havoc since August 27. The calamity has caused widespread destruction, leading to the collapse of around 50 houses and the complete destruction of standing crops on nearly 23,000 hectares of land.
The river’s relentless surge has marooned vast swathes of land, impacting over 35,000 people across 93 villages in the area. According to officials, a large-scale rescue operation is underway, with teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and state police working to save stranded residents. So far, over 2,500 people have been rescued, with all-terrain vehicles and boats being used to access disconnected villages located more than 10 km from the riverbank.
Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahney confirmed the deployment of six NDRF and 17 Army teams. She stated that relief teams have delivered 35,000 cooked food packets, 8,500 ration packets, and 5,000 packets of dry milk to the affected population. Additionally, 50 tonnes of animal feed have been distributed to livestock owners. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has recorded a staggering 611mm of rainfall in the region over the past five days.
Sixteen relief camps have been established to provide temporary shelter, with arrangements for boarding, lodging, and medical aid. State ministers, including Harbhajan Singh ETO and Aman Arora, along with Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, have visited the worst-hit areas like Ghonewal village to oversee relief efforts. While Minister Arora said the state government is fully capable of compensating the affected population, he urged the Centre to declare the floods a natural calamity to facilitate additional aid