At least 30 people have died and more than 354,000 have been affected by incessant heavy rains and floods in the north Indian state of Punjab. Authorities have declared all of the state's 23 districts flood-hit, after rivers and reservoirs swelled to near-danger levels.
Some 20,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying and flood-affected areas, with hundreds of relief camps set up to provide shelter and essential facilities to the affected families.
Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to the country to 'stand by the state,' describing these floods as the worst the state had seen since 1988.
Punjab, often called the 'food basket' of India, is reeling under significant agricultural losses due to the floods, which have submerged approximately 148,000 hectares of farmland. A quarter of Punjab's 30 million residents depend on agriculture, raising immediate concern about rural livelihoods.
Torrential downpours have raised water levels in the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers to dangerous highs, threatening many low-lying areas, with reports of reservoirs nearing full capacity.
Multiple disaster response teams, along with the Indian army, air force, and navy, are helping with the rescue operations. Some 35 helicopters and more than 100 boats have been deployed to assist in relief operations.
Chief Minister Mann toured the flood-affected Ferozepur district by boat and reported a grim situation, seeking federal funds to address the disaster. Meteorological experts attribute the flooding to the interaction between monsoon currents and weather systems, which has also led to heavy rain in other parts of northern India.
Floods have also devastated Pakistan's Punjab province, affecting about two million people in recent weeks.
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