The flood situation in Punjab has deteriorated, with seven districts -- Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi, and Hoshiarpur -- severely affected.

Over 250 villages in these areas are submerged under 5-15 feet of water, disrupting lives and livelihoods.

Authorities opened the floodgates of Sukhna lake in Chandigarh today morning, causing a rise in the Ghaggar river’s water levels. This has heightened the risk of flooding in Mohali’s Dera Bassi, Patiala, and Sangrur. Similarly, four gates of the Bhakra Dam have been opened, releasing water into the Sutlej river.

An overflow in the Sutlej could trigger flooding in Rupnagar, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, and Fazilka, where the river or its canals flow.

In response to the escalating crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called an emergency meeting with ministers and officials to review reports from recent field visits and coordinate relief efforts.

The floods have already claimed six lives, with three people reported missing. The state remains on edge as heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh could further exacerbate the situation in Punjab.

Rescue operations have intensified along the Ravi river, where four people are reported missing. Police drones, provided by the Special DGP (Law & Order), are being used to search for the missing individuals near the Madhopur Headworks, where a gate breach caused a surge in water flow.

Police and rescue teams are closely monitoring the area to locate those unaccounted for.

In a call for unity, Shahi Imam Punjab Maulana Muhammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianvi, after Friday prayers in Ludhiana, urged mosque leaders, imams, and religious figures from all faiths to support flood victims. He emphasized the need for collective humanitarian efforts to aid affected families during this crisis.

Punjab Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa announced that all Congress MLAs, including himself, will donate one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Describing the gesture as a small step to support those in distress, Bajwa appealed to citizens and social organizations to contribute to relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Naresh Kataria criticized the administration’s preparedness, alleging that officials ignored his repeated requests to take preventive measures following past floods. Kataria expressed frustration over the lack of proactive action to mitigate the crisis.

In a separate development, Congress MP from Amritsar, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, accused Mukhtiar Singh, the personal assistant of Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, of deliberately damaging a canal near the Ravi in Ballarwal village to protect his own farmland.

Aujla claimed this action led to flooding in nearly 20 villages, causing significant losses for farmers. Labeling the act as “deplorable,” Aujla demanded immediate registration of an FIR and strict action to deter such irresponsible behaviour in the future.