On Monday, September 15, 2025, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi embarked on a crucial visit to the flood-ravaged districts of Amritsar, where he personally engaged with local residents enduring the severe impact of recent natural disasters.
During his visit, Mr. Gandhi was joined by prominent state party figures, including Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, and Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, alongside other key party members.
Upon his arrival in Amritsar, Mr. Gandhi proceeded directly to Ghonewal village, located in the Ajnala area. There, he took the time to meet with affected villagers, listening intently to their experiences and assessing the extent of the destruction caused by the floodwaters.
Ghonewal is one of many villages in the Ajnala region that bore the brunt of the devastating floods.
Demonstrating solidarity, Mr. Gandhi sat down with several flood victims, engaging in heartfelt conversations to understand their immediate needs and long-term challenges.
Following his interactions in Ghonewal, Mr. Gandhi’s itinerary included a visit to the revered historic Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib, situated in the Ramdas area of Amritsar, to offer his respects.
The former Congress president also plans to extend his tour to other severely impacted areas, specifically in the Gurdaspur district, to continue his assessment of the flood situation.
Punjab has recently experienced one of its most severe flood disasters in decades. This widespread inundation was primarily triggered by the dramatic swelling of the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, compounded by overflowing seasonal rivulets. These conditions arose from exceptionally heavy rainfall in their respective catchment areas across Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Additionally, intense local downpours within Punjab further exacerbated the already critical flooding.
Tragically, the floods have claimed 56 lives, and agricultural devastation is extensive, with crops across an estimated 1.98 lakh hectares reported as damaged.
Earlier, on September 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also assessed the flood situation in Punjab. His visit included an aerial survey of the devastated regions to gauge the extent of the damage.
During his assessment, the Prime Minister announced an additional financial aid package of ₹1,600 crore for the affected state, supplementing the existing ₹12,000 crore funds already allocated to Punjab.
Prior to these high-profile visits, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, L. Murugan, and B.L. Verma had also toured the flood-stricken zones to evaluate the on-ground conditions.