Punjab suffered losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to floods: CM Bhagwant Mann

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday that the state suffered estimated losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to recent floods. A detailed report on the losses will be sent to the Union government and a relief package will be sought, he said. An on-ground assessment of the losses will be done and people will be provided compensation, he said.

Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy rains this month that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of agricultural land and residential areas. Mann said the water level at the Bhakra dam was below the danger mark and the state government was keeping a strict vigil on the entire situation. The chief minister was here to assess the situation in the wake of incessant rains and held discussions with officers of the Bhakra Beas Management Board and other officials, according to an official release.

It is a matter of great relief that the water level at Bhakra dam was still below the danger mark so there is no immediate need of release of any water from it, Mann said. The danger mark of Bhakra dam is 1,680 feet whereas the level of water at the dam on July 23 was 1,653 feet, he said. There is no need to panic as water level is fairly below the danger mark, Mann said, adding he asked the officers to share the information regarding water level regularly with people to avoid any confusion.

It is also a matter of great reprieve that the meteorological department had not predicted any rainfall in the coming few days due to which the water level will further recede, he said. People must not get swayed by rumours pertaining to floods or opening of floodgates by dams until it is not verified by the authorities, he noted. Heavy rainfall took place in