What Measures are Being Taken for Long-Term Rehabilitation in Punjab After Recent Floods?

Chandigarh, Sep 11 (NationPress) As the floodwaters in Punjab begin to recede, communities affected by these devastating floods are receiving essential relief supplies for their daily needs. However, what is crucial now is long-term rehabilitation along with medical assistance to avert potential health crises.

Recent field reports show an alarming increase in water- and vector-borne diseases, including typhoid, cholera, and malaria.

Additionally, there has been a surge in snakebite incidents. The remains of hundreds of animals, including buffalo and hens, now fill village farms, leading to potential outbreaks of disease and significant economic losses.

Numerous non-profit organizations are promoting proper hygiene and safe food preparation practices, educating predominantly rural communities to avoid using flood water for washing dishes, brushing teeth, or preparing food.

The sudden discharge of water from major dams such as Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar, following days of heavy rainfall in the hilly regions, led to flooding in the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers downstream, breaching canal embankments and devastating mature paddy crops.

This calamity represents the worst flooding in four decades, resulting in 53 fatalities and the destruction of crops across 1.91 lakh hectares, affecting 2,185 villages across 22 districts, and displacing 388,466 individuals.

As per the government bulletin released on Wednesday, 91 additional individuals were rescued, bringing the total number of evacuees to 23,297.

Currently, 115 relief camps are operational throughout the state, housing 4,533 people. Nevertheless, farmers remain unable to access their homes due to destroyed connecting roads, leaving them uncertain about the fate of their livestock.

A charity organization based in Britain is actively engaged on the ground, collaborating with medical professionals from the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences in Jalandhar to deliver timely medical assistance to flood-hit regions.

“I had over 20 buffalo and numerous hens on my farm. When I returned to the shed days after the floods, many had perished due to floodwaters or starvation,” lamented Nachattar Singh, a distressed farmer from Ferozepur.

He noted that most villagers fled their homes and have yet to return due to the hazardous mud.

“The carcasses are now starting to rot,” he added.

Environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, renowned for revitalizing the nearly extinct 160-km-long Kali Bein, a river sacred to Sikhs, has been active on the ground in Sultanpur Lodhi's Mand for nearly a month.

As the water levels start to drop, he has urged the 'sangat' to generously donate soil, diesel, tractor-trailers, sacks, and other materials for village rehabilitation initiatives.

In a video shared on his Facebook page on Thursday, he was seen navigating a motorboat above submerged paddy fields.

As waterlogging decreases, even the operation of boats is becoming problematic. Punjab has approximately 900 km of earthen embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers, including 226 km along the Sutlej, 164 km along the Ravi, 104 km along the Beas, and nearly 100 km along the Ghaggar. Additionally, there are around 300 km of temporary embankments surrounding smaller rivers and streams. These embankments, constructed in the 1950s and 60s, have been overwhelmed by this year’s record-breaking floods.

Rajya Sabha member Sant Seechewal proposed that to reinforce these embankments, permanent roads should be established on them and trees planted along the sides.

He suggested that a simple method for flood prevention is to plant at least five trees in every field or near each tubewell.

Punjab is home to approximately 1.4 million tubewells, and if five trees are planted at each, that would result in 7 million trees. These trees could help mitigate flooding and ensure timely rainfall.

With the receding floodwaters, Sakshi Sawhney, Amritsar's first female Deputy Commissioner, informed IANS that medical teams and ASHA workers are now conducting door-to-door visits to distribute medicines and raise awareness about health measures, including drinking safe water, protecting against mosquitoes, and maintaining personal hygiene.

Teams from global disaster relief organizations are providing temporary shelters for displaced individuals until their homes can be repaired.

They have acquired boats from Dubai to assist victims and are supplying basic household necessities such as bedding, furniture, sanitation facilities, and cooking equipment.

Financial assistance and support programs are also being offered to help flood-impacted individuals rebuild their lives.

Observers note that the disaster has not fundamentally altered Punjab; rather, Punjab has transformed its response to the disaster.

“Punjab has revolutionized its approach to dealing with floods,” observers remarked.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)