Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the flood-ravaged areas of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. His trip comes in the wake of devastating monsoon floods and landslides that have caused widespread destruction across northern India. Modi aims to check on disaster response efforts and push for better rehabilitation support for affected families.
The day kicks off in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, where the Prime Minister arrives around 1:30 p.m. If the weather holds up, he’ll take an aerial survey of the hardest-hit spots to get a firsthand look at the damage from the severe floods and landslides.
From there, Modi heads to Dharamshala for a key review meeting. Senior officials from the state government, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and even local Aapda Mitra volunteers will update him on rescue operations and relief work. He’ll also chat directly with flood victims to hear their stories and address their worries.
After wrapping up in Himachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister flies to Gurdaspur in Punjab, landing around 4:15 p.m. En route, he’ll do another aerial survey of the flood-affected regions in the state. On the ground in Gurdaspur, Modi will meet with top administrative and disaster management teams. He plans to talk to local residents hit hard by the devastating floods, ensuring their voices are heard.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says this visit is all about closely monitoring relief and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-hit areas. They add that Modi wants to guarantee full central government support for people in both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh struggling with the aftermath of the natural disaster.
But not everyone’s on the same page. Just before the visit, Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state chief Aman Arora fired off a strong message to the Prime Minister. He slammed the trip as “mere flood tourism” and demanded a massive relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore to help rebuild. Arora also called for the immediate release of Rs 60,000 crore in pending funds, including Rs 50,000 crore in GST compensation and Rs 8,000 crore for rural and market development.
Arora pointed out that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already sent multiple letters to the central government, pleading for urgent financial aid to fight the flood crisis and fix damaged infrastructure in the state. As northern India grapples with these monsoon-triggered floods, all eyes are on how the Centre responds to these calls for support.
