Punjab Floods Devastate 4 Lakh Acres of Crops; State Govt Seek Massive Central Aid

06 September 2025, Chandigarh: Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian has called on the Union Government to provide an immediate relief package after floods devastated more than four lakh acres of farmland, severely threatening both Punjab’s agrarian economy and India’s national food security.

Khudian accompanied Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan during his visit to the flood-affected districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala, where the duo interacted with farmers and assessed the ground situation. Upon his arrival at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, Chauhan was received by Khudian, who highlighted the widespread losses faced by farming communities.

According to preliminary estimates, standing crops across over 4 lakh acres of land have been inundated, with paddy fields suffering the heaviest damage just weeks ahead of the harvesting season. The floods have also caused serious losses to livestock, compounding the distress in rural households.

“Punjab’s contribution to the nation’s food security cannot be overlooked. The state is the backbone of India’s central food pool, but these floods have caused unprecedented destruction to crops, rural infrastructure, and livelihoods,” Khudian said. He stressed that the crisis has placed enormous strain on the state’s economy, making urgent intervention critical.

The Punjab minister pressed the Centre to enhance crop damage compensation, which currently stands at ₹6,800 per acre, calling it inadequate against the scale of farmer losses. He demanded that compensation be revised to ₹50,000 per acre to provide meaningful support.

In addition, Khudian urged the immediate release of ₹8,000 crore under the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Market Development Fund (MDF), pending with the Union Government. He also called for a special financial package to help Punjab recover from the flood’s devastation and sustain its role as India’s leading contributor to the national food basket.

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