Punjab Governor, Mr. Gulab Chand Kataria, who visited Makror Sahib today to review the situation of the Ghaggar River, said that a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana will be convened to find a permanent solution to the Ghaggar issue, as the river impacts both states. He added that in view of the emergency caused by floods in Punjab, the Central Government has announced an immediate relief package of ₹1600 crore, which is only the beginning.
Once complete reports on the damage are received, additional relief funds will also be provided by the Centre. Mr. Kataria stated that the maximum damage in Punjab was caused by the Ravi River, followed by the Sutlej and the Beas, while the Ghaggar caused comparatively less damage.
In Sangrur district, although the Ghaggar did not directly hit, heavy rainfall affected 6,000–7,000 hectares of farmland, and one person lost his life due to a roof collapse. Answering a media query about the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the Governor clarified that this fund is meant to tackle emergencies arising from disasters.
It is jointly contributed by both the Central and State Governments and is reserved exclusively for disaster relief. The Governor appreciated the tireless efforts of the district administration and local residents in protecting against the impact of the Ghaggar.
He also interacted with locals and gathered their suggestions for resolving the issue. On this occasion, Punjab Cabinet Minister Mr. Barinder Kumar Goyal explained the potential flood situation caused by the Supreme Court’s stay on widening the Ghaggar River beyond Makror Sahib following a petition by Haryana, and appealed for a resolution to this challenge.
Deputy Commissioner Mr. Rahul Chaba, District Police Chief Mr. Sartaj Singh Chahal, officials from various departments, and residents of several villages were present.