PM Modi announces ₹3,100 Crore aid package during flood-hit visit to Punjab, Himachal
Aerial surveys reveal extensive damage from monsoons; PM interacts with orphaned toddler, vows full central support amid state pleas for relief.
NewsArc Bureau
New Delhi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 9, 2025, undertook a comprehensive tour of flood-ravaged regions in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, conducting aerial assessments and announcing substantial financial assistance totaling ₹3,100 crore to aid recovery efforts. The visit, amid one of the worst monsoon seasons in recent years, highlighted the Centre’s commitment to standing “shoulder to shoulder” with affected communities, as Modi met survivors, including a one-year-old girl orphaned by a cloudburst, and reviewed disaster management strategies with local officials.
Aerial Surveys and On-Ground Assessments
Modi’s day began with a landing at Pathankot Airbase in Punjab, where he was welcomed by Jaiinder Kaur, daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. From there, he proceeded via helicopter to Himachal Pradesh for an aerial survey of severely impacted districts including Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba. The surveys focused on areas hit by cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods that have caused widespread devastation since June, with over 370 deaths reported in Himachal alone from rain-related incidents and road accidents.
In Dharamshala, Kangra district, Modi chaired a high-level review meeting with state officials, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Aapda Mitra volunteers. Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented details of the crisis, estimating damages exceeding ₹5,000 crore. Modi responded by announcing an immediate relief package of ₹1,500 crore for Himachal Pradesh, along with ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh to families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured. “The central government will provide all possible help,” Modi assured during the meeting.
Transitioning to Punjab, Modi conducted another aerial survey of flood-affected areas, particularly in Gurdaspur, one of the hardest-hit districts where the Ravi River’s overflow submerged over 1,900 villages and destroyed crops across 1.75 lakh hectares. In Gurdaspur, he interacted with affected farmers, NDRF and SDRF teams, and held discussions with Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha and other ministers. The Prime Minister announced ₹1,600 crore in financial aid for Punjab to address infrastructure repairs, crop losses, and rehabilitation needs. Punjab, declared a disaster-hit state across all 23 districts, has reported 51 deaths and impacts on 3.9 lakh people.
Heartfelt Interactions with Victims
A poignant highlight of the visit was Modi’s meeting with 18 flood survivors from Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba in Himachal. Among them was one-year-old Nitika, whose parents and grandmother were killed in a June 30 cloudburst in Mandi. The Prime Minister presented her with a toffee and lifted her into his arms, a gesture that symbolized empathy amid the tragedy. Such interactions underscored the human cost of the disasters, with Modi listening to personal accounts of loss and resilience.
Earlier on September 5, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had visited flood-impacted areas in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala in Punjab, meeting victims and assessing agricultural damages. Modi’s tour builds on these efforts, emphasizing coordinated central-state response.
