CHANDIGARH: Describing the flood situation in Punjab as a “deluge”, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said illegal mining had weakened embankments and contributed to the disaster, while assuring that the Centre would plan to lift the state out of the crisis.
Chouhan, who visited several affected areas in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala districts at the PM’s instruction, said he would submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister. “The crisis is big, but the Central Government will leave no stone unturned to overcome this crisis,” he said.
He rode a tractor to personally assess damages to the paddy crop by the floodwater.Chouhan pointed to weakened embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers. “These were strengthened during the NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. However, due to illegal mining, they have weakened, and water has entered the villages. Now it is necessary to strengthen those structuresto prevent such tragedies in future,” he said.