India's Punjab grapples with severe flooding

NEW DELHI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- India's northern state of Punjab is grappling with severe flooding, officials said Monday.

The monsoon rains wreaked havoc across the state, causing major rivers to flow above the danger mark.

Of Punjab's 23 districts, 22 have been affected so far. The floodwaters have inundated villages across the affected districts and submerged agricultural land.

The devastating floods have inflicted massive financial losses on farmers as nearly 300,000 acres of agricultural land remain submerged.

According to officials, over 1,300 villages across the state have been impacted by the ongoing flooding and a population of 125,000 was affected.

Authorities have deployed six National Disaster Response Force teams and two State Disaster Response Force teams in the worst-hit areas to carry out relief and rescue work. The army, navy, and air force are also assisting in the rescue operations.