Chandigarh, September 12:
With rainfall subsiding and water levels in rivers receding, Punjab has started witnessing significant relief from flood havoc. The latest flood report confirms no additional loss of life and no further crop area reported damaged during the last 24 hours.
Giving further information, Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that encouragingly, people sheltering in relief camps are steadily moving back to their homes, resulting in the number of operational camps dropping from 111 on September 11 to 100 on September 12. He said there is a noticeable decrease of 460 inmates in the relief camps, pointing to gradual restoration of normalcy as families return to their homes.
He said that the cumulative figure of evacuated persons has reached 23,340 so far. Presently, 4125 people remain in government-run relief camps as against 4585 a day earlier. He said that with no more affected crop area reported as per district reports, the affected crop area has been assessed at 192380 hectares till date, with no fresh area reported damaged during the last 24 hours.
The Cabinet Minister said that one missing person has been reported from Jalandhar, while three persons are still reported missing from Pathankot.
He said that further villages have been reported affected, raising the total to 2319 villages across 22 districts, while the overall population affected stands at 3,89,036.
S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that rescue and relief operations continue under the supervision of district administrations, supported by NDRF, SDRF, Army and BSF.
As water further recedes, actual loss of livestock and infrastructure will be ascertained in coming days, he added.
