Kapurthala, Aug. 31 -- Punjab is grappling with severe flooding as 14 districts have been hit leaving over 1.9 lakh acres of agricultural land submerged. The devastating floods have resulted in extensive financial losses to farmers, particularly in the crucial paddy-growing season. A total of 1,018 villages across the state have been impacted by the floods, with the worst-hit districts being Gurdaspur (323 villages), Kapurthala (107), Ferozepur (101), Pathankot (89), Hoshiarpur (85), Muktsar (64), Fazilka (52), Tarn Taran (45), Moga (35), and Sangrur and Barnala (22 villages each). A total of 11,330 people have been evacuated to safer places from the flood-affected areas across the state, according to the office of director, land records, Jalandhar, a nodal agency managing state's flood control room, which is sending a daily report to the state financial revenue commissioner after compiling data about estimated loss to agriculture land and livestock, besides providing data on daily evacuations and affected villages. The farmers and state agricultural department are fearing severe loss to the paddy crop due accumulation of water in the fields for the past two weeks. The government has already ordered a special "girdawari" (crop loss assessment) and it will be done once the floodwater recedes from the affected areas. According to the official data, 41,099 acres of agricultural land has been affected in Fazilka district, followed by 28,714 acres in Kapurthala, 26,703 acres in Ferozepur, 24,532 in Tarn Taran, 17,297 in Pathankot and 13,064 in Hoshiarpur. The Gurdaspur district administration is yet to compile the data of the possible loss. "Seeing the gravity of the flood situation in Gurdaspur, where 323 villages are reeling under the floods, nearly 30,000 acres agricultural land is expected to be damaged," said a senior official, adding that in other districts, including Moga, Muktsar, Barnala and Sangrur, the estimated loss is pegged at in 10,000 acres. The Beas, which was flowing at over 2.4 lakh cusecs early on Saturday, caused a breach near Chakkpatti Baloo Bahadur village, posing threat of floods in several villages in Kapurthala's Sultanpur Lodhi. Despite efforts by local residents to reinforce the embankment, the rising water overwhelmed the barrier, putting an estimated 50,000 acres of paddy crops at risk. Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal said the Beas was flowing at 2.4 lakh cusecs at 7am on Saturday but it rose to 2.17 lakh cusecs in the afternoon, causing breach in embankment near Chakkpatti Baloo Bahadur. "Local residents had been working for several days to protect the 20km advance embankment, but it could not withstand the pressure of the rising water. A major breach in the advance embankment near Ahli Kalan, caused by the rising waters of the Beas, poses an additional threat to the paddy crop in several villages, including Aahli Khurd and Kalan. With fresh damage to the embankment, there is a possible threat to 50,000 acres of paddy crop in Aahli Khurd and Kalan and other villages in the mand area as the water level has started rising," Seechewal said. In a related development, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has released 1.09 lakh cusecs of water from the Pong Dam into the Beas, as the water level reached 1,391.05 feet - slightly above the maximum filling capacity. The increased inflow of water from the catchment areas is raising concerns of further flooding, especially with the already overwhelmed embankments and flood control systems. The government has announced a special 'girdawari' to evaluate the damage once the floodwaters recede. However, the prolonged water accumulation in fields has already started to affect the paddy crop, and officials fear a significant impact on this year's harvest. With floodwaters still rising and no immediate relief in sight, the economic impact on the state's agriculture industry could be severe....