The next 48 hours will be crucial for Punjab as it braces for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.
Incessant rains over the past few days have already resulted in flooding and severe waterlogging in low-lying areas across the state.
The Army—in addition to the NDRF, SDRF, and the Punjab Police—is already engaged in numerous rescue operations across the state, which is currently witnessing the worst floods since 1988.
As a result, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced in an X post that as per directions from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, government, aided, recognised and private schools across the state would be closed till September 3.
"Parents and students are requested to prioritise safety and comply with the instructions issued by the administration," he added.
Notably, the state government had earlier announced rain-related closures for schools from August 27-30.
Several parts of Punjab—including Pathankot, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Mansa and Moga—have recorded excess rainfall this monsoon season.
The terrible flooding led Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the release of ₹60,000 crores, which he claimed were "stuck" with the Centre.
“Punjab is facing a tough time due to the worst flood conditions. You are requested to release all funds of Punjab stuck with the Government of India, which is to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore,” he stated in his letter, as per a PTI report.
According to his estimates in the letter, about 3 lakh acres of farmland remain submerged under floodwater, leading to "devastating crop losses" weeks before harvest season.