Randeep Hooda flies to Punjab to support flood-hit families

Mumbai, Sep 4 (IANS) Amid the crisis in Punjab, actor Randeep Hooda has stepped forward to support families affected by the floods in Gurdaspur.

According to a source close to the initiative, “Randeep has always wanted to personally stand with the people of Punjab during this difficult time.

Randeep has been associated with the Global Sikhs NGO Founder Amarpreet Singh and his close friend Maninder Singh with whom he has been working with for over 10 years now. The collaboration has seen them come together and again to extend relief to communities in crisis.

The source added: “He joined hands with the Global Sikh NGO with whom he has been associated since a long time, to provide relief, rehabilitation and visit flood-hit areas to meet families who have lost their homes and belongings. He interacted with affected families, listened to their struggles, and assured them that efforts would continue to reach those in urgent need.”

With the help of volunteers of Global Sikh NGO working tirelessly, relief materials are being distributed, and every effort is being made to bring comfort to affected families.

Punjab Revenue Minister Hardeep Mundian on September 3 said the state is reeling under one of the worst floods in recent decades, with widespread crop devastation reported in 175,216 hectares.

He said Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Mansa, Ferozepur and Fazilka are among the worst-hit districts, accounting for the bulk of the agricultural losses. The scale of damage to crops, villages, and population underlines the severity of the calamity that has gripped 23 districts of Punjab.

Giving details of relief operations, Mundian said over 20,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying and severely affected areas. Major evacuations were carried out in Gurdaspur (5,581 people), followed by Ferozepur (3,495), Amritsar (2,734), Fazilka (2,422), Hoshiarpur (1,615), Kapurthala (1,428), Pathankot (1,139), Barnala (369), Jalandhar (474), Mansa (16), Rupnagar (65), Moga (115) and Tarn Taran (21).

To accommodate the displaced, 167 relief camps have been established across the state, which include 29 camps in Barnala, 26 in Patiala, 23 in SBS Nagar, 11 each in Fazilka and Jalandhar, 16 in Amritsar, 14 in Pathankot, 13 in Gurdaspur, eight in Ferozepur, five in Hoshiarpur, three in Rupnagar, four in Kapurthala, two in Moga and one each in Mansa and Sangrur. In these camps, 5,304 people are currently sheltered.

--IANS

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