People returning to houses, says Punjab minister Mundian

. The number of operational camps has dropped from 111 on September 11 to 100 on September 12, said Hardeep Singh Mundian, the revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management minister

Punjab cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Mundian on Friday said people sheltering in relief camps were steadily moving back to their houses amid the receding water levels in rivers post floods. The number of operational camps has dropped from 111 on September 11 to 100 on September 12, said the revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management minister.

A child drags his bicycle through the paddy field after the floodwaters receded, in Jalandhar on Friday. (ANI)

In the past 24 hours, the flood report confirms no additional loss of life and no further crop area reported damaged. “There is a decrease of 460 inmates in the relief camps, pointing to gradual restoration of normalcy. The cumulative figure of evacuated persons has reached 23,340 so far. Presently, 4,125 people remain in government-run relief camps as against 4,585 a day earlier,” he said.

The affected crop area has been assessed at 1,92,380 hectares till date. The minister said that one missing person has been reported from Jalandhar, while three persons are still reported missing from Pathankot.