Due to heavy rains and floods, all educational institutions in Punjab will remain closed till September 7. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced this on Wednesday (September 3).

He said, "As per the instructions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, in view of the flood situation, all government/aided/recognized and private schools, colleges, universities and polytechnics across Punjab will remain closed till September 7, 2025. Everyone is requested to strictly follow the guidelines of the local administration.''

In view of the flood situation in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier announced the closure of schools from 27 to 30 August. After this, this date was extended till September 3.

Many rivers in spate
Punjab and Haryana also received rain today (September 3). This increased the difficulties faced by the people already troubled by the floods. Punjab is in the grip of severe floods due to the rise in Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal drains due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a bulletin issued by state authorities on the situation from August 1 to September 2, floods in Punjab have claimed 30 lives and affected over 3.5 lakh people. Relief and rescue operations are underway by the NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities in the affected areas.

Due to incessant rains, the water level of some rivers, including the Yamuna, has risen, forcing Haryana authorities to open the gates of the Hathinikund barrage in Yamunanagar district. 3,29,313 cusecs of water was released from the Hathinikund barrage at 9 am on Monday.

What did CM Bhagwant Mann say?

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is constantly reviewing the situation. He visited Gatti Rajo village in Ferozepur on Tuesday (September 2). The CM said that proper compensation will be given for every kind of loss caused to the people due to the floods and new and effective ways will be explored to deal with such a situation in future.

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Bhagwant Mann said, "Along with this, a demand has been made to the central government to increase the compensation for the losses caused due to natural disasters. Keep up your courage and enthusiasm. Keep your thinking positive and your morale intact. In this hour of crisis, our government and administration are standing with the people with full readiness. Every possible effort is being made to evacuate people safely. The situation will be normal very soon."

The number of districts affected by floods in Punjab has increased to 8. This is the biggest flood in history. Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur and Fazilka have been the most affected by this so far.

The most affected area in the flood is Ajnala in Amritsar. The crops here have been completely destroyed. Head Granthi of Golden Temple Raghbir Singh, who arrived to take stock of the area, enquired about the condition of the people. Here he prayed for the welfare of all. While praying, Giani Raghbir Singh broke down crying.

Citing official figures, Punjab government minister Barinder Goyal said that so far 11,330 people have been shifted to safer places across Punjab. At the same time, 4711 flood victims were shifted to safer places in the last 24 hours.

Now the effect of water is visible in Patiala and Mansa as well. The fields of many villages have been submerged due to the overflow of Ghaggar river, while the water level in Sutlej and Ravi is continuously rising.

Intermittent rain continues in many districts of Punjab. On Saturday, a private bus full of passengers overturned in the fields on Sotha Road in Gidderbaha, Muktsar amid rain. The driver-conductor and a passenger were injured in this.

Head Granthi Raghbir Singh became emotional after seeing the flood situation

Head Granthi Gyani Raghbir Singh of Sachkhand Sri Darbar Sahib, who had come to visit the flood-affected areas in Ajnala, Amritsar, became emotional after seeing the situation. After which MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was present on the spot, told him that you are our elder, we get strength from you.

Flood related updates...

47 trains canceled in Punjab: After the devastation in Jammu, about 47 trains passing through Punjab have been canceled. So far 23 people have died in this monsoon season. 3 people are still missing.

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Leader of Opposition Pratap Bajwa sought help from PM: Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa and BJP state president Sunil Jakhar have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which they have demanded to visit Punjab and release a relief package.
Gyani Gadgaj gave the message of staying united: Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Giani Gadgaj Singh has given a message to the community to help each other.
25 villages of Fazilka border submerged: Sutlej is in spate in Fazilka. 25 border villages have submerged here. The situation is such that water has started flowing over the bridge built on the river.
23 deaths so far: So far 23 people have died in the floods in Punjab while 3 are still missing. According to the government spokesperson, so far more than 11 thousand people trapped in the floods have been evacuated and taken to safe places.
Water removed from Gurudwara Shri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan: Water has been removed from Gurudwara Shri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. Cleaning work is going on here after the order of Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.