New Delhi [India], September 6 (ANI): The dinner planned for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence on September 8 has been cancelled, given the devastation caused by floods in Punjab and other areas in the country, sources confirmed on Saturday.
The sources further informed that the dinner program, scheduled for tonight at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Union Minister JP Nadda’s residence, also stands cancelled.
The dinner for NDA MPs was scheduled a day before the Vice Presidential elections. However, it has been cancelled due to the devastation caused by flooding in many states of the country, especially in northern India.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed deep anguish over the devastation caused by heavy rains, cloudbursts and floods across north India, saying the monsoon fury has left behind a trail of “death and destruction” in several states.
“I have been deeply anguished every time I have come to know about natural calamities during the monsoon this year. Cloudbursts in the hills and floods in the plains have taken a heavy toll, leaving death and destruction in their wake in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Assam and many other parts of the country,” President Murmu said in a post on X.
She extended solidarity with those affected and praised officials engaged in rescue and relief efforts.
“The nation shares the sorrow of the people affected by calamities and is with them in this crisis. I commend the spirit of those involved in the rescue and relief operations. Together we will overcome this challenge,” the President added.
In Punjab, the flood toll rose to 43, according to the state’s Department of Information and Public Relations. The deaths were reported from Amritsar (5), Barnala (5), Bathinda (4), Fazilka (1), Ferozepur (1), Gurdaspur (2), Hoshiarpur (7), Mansa (3), Pathankot (6), Patiala (1), Rupnagar (1), Sangrur (1) and SAS Nagar (2) and Ludhiana (4). Three people remain missing.
Himachal Pradesh has recorded over 300 rain-related deaths this year, while the Yamuna in Delhi has crossed the danger mark, forcing evacuations in flood-prone areas. Punjab has confirmed widespread damage to crops and property, with nearly 3 lakh hectares of farmland under water.
Between September 1 and 5, Delhi received 719.5 mm of rain, Punjab 581.4 mm, Himachal 948 mm, Jammu and Kashmir 687.3 mm, and Assam 826.6 mm, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.
In Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra, along with the famous Gangotri and Yamunotri routes, has been disrupted due to the rains. The state government has requested Rs 5,702 crore to offset the losses to the state.
In Jammu and Kashmir, villagers in the Bhaderwah district had been cut off after a cloudburst and flash floods, prompting the 4 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Army to make a makeshift wooden footbridge in less than 18 hours to restore connectivity in the affected areas. (ANI)