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Chandigarh: Punjab’s flood crisis deepened on Tuesday, with official figures confirming 30 deaths and nearly 3.55 lakh people affected so far. Standing crops on over 4 lakh acres have been submerged, while 1,400 villages across the state continue to reel under floodwaters.

Authorities said close to 19,600 people have been evacuated, of which 5,167 are in 171 relief camps. With more rainfall forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, civil and military agencies are on high alert.

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann toured the flood-hit districts on Tuesday to oversee relief efforts. Teams from the Army, Air Force, NDRF, and BSF have been deployed, alongside the state’s civil administration. Departments of Public Works, Water Resources and Power have been directed to repair damaged infrastructure on a war footing, while telecom operators have been asked to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.

Rivers and Reservoirs Swelling

Fresh rain in the upstream catchments of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh has led to a sharp rise in water levels:

• Ravi River: Flow at Ujh barrage jumped from 7,474 cusecs in the morning to 52,341 cusecs by evening. At Dharamkot, the flow remains dangerously high at 4.63 lakh cusecs.

• Beas River: At Chakki Bank, discharge rose from 1,910 cusecs to 8,400 cusecs. At Dhilwan (Sultanpur Lodhi), the flow was recorded at 2.04 lakh cusecs, slightly down from morning levels.

• Sutlej River: At Ropar, discharge reduced from 1.02 lakh cusecs to 71,486 cusecs.

• Harike Confluence (Beas-Sutlej): Water level stood at 2.93 lakh cusecs on Tuesday evening.

Dam Levels a Growing Concern

Reservoirs in the region are fast approaching critical levels:

• Pong Dam (Beas): Recorded at 1,391 feet, just above its danger mark of 1,390 feet.

• Bhakra Dam: Water level at 1,677.32 feet, nearing the danger mark of 1,680 feet.

• Ranjit Sagar Dam (Ravi): Registered the highest inflow of 1.71 lakh cusecs.

With the monsoon still active, officials said the situation remains fluid, and continuous monitoring is underway to manage dam discharges and safeguard vulnerable populations downstream.