Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan Tours Flood-Hit Punjab

Quick Summary:

• Union Agriculture and farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited flood-hit villages in Punjab on September 4, 2025, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala districts.
• The Central Government is dispatching two teams of officials from key ministries to assess the flood damage in Punjab and submit a detailed report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Preliminary assessments by Punjab authorities indicate over four lakh acres of agricultural land submerged due to flooding. Paddy crops close to harvesting season have been severely impacted.
• Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian urged the Union Government for immediate financial relief for affected farmers, highlighting significant losses in agriculture and livestock that threaten food security statewide and nationally.
• State Finance Minister Harpal Singh cheema criticized the Center for delays in aid distribution compared with swift relief efforts sent abroad (e.g., Afghanistan), urging prioritization of domestic rehabilitation measures.
• Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria submitted a extensive report on flood damage during Mr. Chouhan’s visit.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The catastrophic flooding has brought significant challenges for both local governance and national coordination efforts. The loss of over four lakh acres of farmland underscores an impending agricultural crisis with ripple effects on food security. Immediate relief packages-not only financial but infrastructural-are crucial to mitigate further adverse economic impacts.

The Centre’s deployment of assessment teams represents a positive step towards addressing ground realities; however,concerns raised by state officials regarding delayed assistance compared with foreign aid highlight potential discrepancies in disaster response prioritization within India. Strengthened intergovernmental collaboration remains necessary to ensure equitable support mechanisms during crises like this.

Read more: The Hindu