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PM Modi to visit flood-hit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, where leaders like Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Barinder Kumar Goyal seek major relief packages.
PM Modi will visit states on September 9 to take stock of the situation.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, which are ravaged by catastrophic floods, on Tuesday, the governments of both states have urged him to demonstrate magnanimity in providing assistance to the flood-affected people of these states.
Himachal CM Sukhu Expects Relief Package
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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu expected PM Modi to release a special relief package for the disaster-hit state.
“… Certainly, whenever the Prime Minister comes, there is always hope… We expect him to release a special relief package… The estimated damage is up to Rs 5 thousand crores, and it could increase even more from this because there are many roads in the Panchayats that are broken… The central team will also inspect…” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Shimla | On PM Modi’s visit to Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says, “… Certainly, whenever the Prime Minister comes, there is always hope… We expect him to release a special relief package… The estimated damage is up to Rs 5 thousand… pic.twitter.com/KljxhQNbIg— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2025
Punjab Minister Seeks Help
Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday said that he expects the Prime Minister to announce the immediate release of at least Rs 25,000 crore as compensation for damages, besides clearing pending dues of Rs 60,000 crore without delay.
Goyal said that preliminary estimates suggest nearly 4 lakh acres of crops have been destroyed. While no breach occurred in embankments maintained by the Water Resources Department, overflowing water caused damage to embankments and other infrastructure, news agency IANS reported.
He highlighted that the Centre rushed relief material to earthquake-hit Afghanistan, yet Punjab continues to wait for meaningful assistance.
A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had written to Modi to release Rs 60,000 crore of the state’s funds, which he claimed were “stuck” with the government of India while highlighting that the state was grappling with one of the worst flood disasters in decades.
The amount includes Rs 50,000 crore in revenue losses due to implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) regime and Rs 8,000 crore withheld in Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Market Development Fund (MDF) during the past three and half years.
PM Modi To Visit Himachal, Punjab
PM Modi will visit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab tomorrow, September 9, to review the flood-related situation.
He will undertake an aerial survey of the flood and landslide-hit areas in Himachal Pradesh.
At around 1:30 pm, PM Modi will reach Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, where he will meet officials and chair a high-level review meeting on the situation.
PM Modi will also meet the flood-affected persons and NDRF, SDRF and Aapda Mitra Team in Kangra.
Then, the Prime Minister will conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Punjab around 3 pm.
He will arrive at Gurdaspur around 4:15 pm, where he will hold discussions with senior officials and chair a review meeting on the ground situation.
He will also interact with flood-affected persons as well as NDRF, SDRF and Aapda Mitra Team in Gurdaspur.
Himachal, Punjab Floods
The ongoing monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 370 lives so far, with 205 fatalities linked to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, lightning strikes, electrocution, and other disaster-related causes, and 165 deaths reported in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
The cumulative loss report issued by the SDMA, covering the period from June 20 to September 8, paints a grim picture of the widespread destruction across the hill state.
A total of 434 people have been injured, and 41 remain missing. The disaster has also resulted in the loss of 1,480 livestock and over 26,955 poultry birds.
Public infrastructure has been severely affected, with 5,354 roads, 83 water supply schemes, and 7,002 electricity distribution transformers damaged or disrupted. Losses to public property are pegged at Rs 4,12,246.97 lakh (Rs 4,122.46 crore), while damages to private property, including houses, shops, crops, and livestock shelters, have also been extensive.
District-wise data shows Mandi recorded the highest rain-related fatalities at 37, followed by Kangra (32), Kullu (26), and Chamba and Shimla (21 each).
Meanwhile, the catastrophic floods ravaging Punjab have resulted in a rising human and economic toll. The human impact has been immense, with over 3.87 lakh people affected and nearly 2,000 villages submerged.
The deluge, caused by swollen rivers like the Sutlej and incessant monsoon rains, has been termed by officials as the worst the state has faced in decades, surpassing the scale of the 1988 floods.
The floodwaters have submerged and severely damaged crops on over 1.75 lakh hectares of land across 18 districts, with Gurdaspur, Fazilka, and Ferozepur among the worst hit. Farmers, who were just weeks away from a bumper harvest of paddy and other crops, have seen their livelihoods wiped out overnight.
In response to the crisis, the state government has declared Punjab a disaster-affected area and is working on a war footing to provide relief. More than 22,000 people have been rescued from flood-hit villages by joint teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army, and the Border Security Force (BSF). Over 200 relief camps have been established to shelter the displaced, housing thousands of individuals who have lost their homes.
(With inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
September 08, 2025, 20:18 IST
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