Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to visit flood-devastated areas of Punjab on Monday, party sources confirmed. The day-long trip will focus on Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts, where Gandhi plans to meet families reeling from the state's worst deluge since 1988.

The floods, triggered by relentless monsoon rains in catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, caused the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers to swell, compounded by heavy local downpours. Over 1,900 villages across more than 13 districts have been inundated, impacting around 384,000 people and submerging 371,475 acres of farmland—particularly rice paddies, cotton, and sugarcane fields—resulting in massive agricultural losses. The death toll has climbed to 56, with widespread evacuations, school closures until early September, and disruptions to daily life persisting into mid-month.

Gandhi's visit follows earlier appeals from him and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for immediate central aid, including a special relief package for affected states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. The Congress has prioritized relief efforts, urging party workers to assist on the ground, though Gandhi faced criticism from BJP and AAP leaders for his initial absence during the peak crisis, with allegations of him vacationing abroad.

Also Read: Ex-CEC Questions Election Commission’s Response to Gandhi’s Complaints

On September 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the hardest-hit areas, announcing Rs 1,600 crore in additional financial assistance—on top of the Rs 12,000 crore already allocated—along with ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Union Ministers, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, L. Murugan, and B.L. Verma, have also inspected the sites to evaluate relief operations.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's administration has promised Rs 20,000 per acre in crop compensation and Rs 4 lakh to bereaved families, while celebrities like Diljit Dosanjh and Salman Khan have contributed essentials and funds. As recovery efforts continue, Gandhi's on-the-ground engagement is expected to highlight the human cost and push for accelerated rehabilitation in India's agricultural heartland.

Also Read: Heated Confrontation Erupts Between Rahul Gandhi and UP Minister