Chandigarh, August 21: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a special package of Rs 1,000 crore to address losses due to floods. The Chief Minister also urged PM Modi to waive off crop loans availed by farmers in the affected villages during the current cropping season. Punjab Floods: Amarinder Singh Announces Rs 100 Crore For Relief Operations, Orders Administration to Expedite Rehabilitation Measures.

Even there were no fresh rains and the water levels had started to recede in the state, there were three new breaches on the Dhussi Bandh. Due to this, 80 villages in Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts were affected. One youth was also washed away in the Sutlej river. Till now, the dam has now nine breaches – eight in Jalandhar and one in Kapurthala.

Meanwhile, more than 300 villages in Punjab's Ropar, Jalandhar and Ferozepur districts, were badly affected in floods by the Satluj river, damaging crops in thousands of acres and forcing thousands of villagers to spend nights on rooftops. On Monday, Capt Singh also announced Rs 100 crore package for relief operations. Rains in North India: Several Trains Cancelled, Diverted Due to Floods in Punjab; Check Full List.

Authorities on Wednesday deployed helicopters to airdrop food and water supplies to the villagers. In Ropar, the district administration declared a holiday in all educational institutes till Thursday. The government has declared the current flood situation in the state as a natural calamity.  Food relief teams of the Indian Army under the Western Command were carrying out rescue operations in various areas of Punjab and Haryana.

(With inputs from IANS)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2019 09:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).