Aid given to flooded region in 'profound trip'

Trustees from a Wolverhampton gurdwara handed out £250,000 in aid to Punjab after it was hit by floods

Trustees from a Sikh temple in Wolverhampton have handed out £250,000 of aid in in Punjab after the Indian region was hit by major flooding'

At least 30 people died and more than 354,000 were affected by extreme rains in the northern state in August. Punjab's chief minister Bhagwant Mann said they were the worst floods the region had seen since 1988.

The Guru Teg Bahadur Gurdwara Wolverhampton travelled to the region after fundraising in response to the crisis, with trustees delivering help to the most vulnerable people in a trip this month.

Trustee and former Wolverhampton MP, Paul Uppal, said: "It's been a profound trip which I feel has changed all the trustees."

The trustees visited agricultural areas of Punjab which have been hit hard by the floods

Mr Uppal said they had travelled around rural Punjab and distributed aid and expertise directly to the people, working with United Sikhs and Sikh Aid who have been identifying the worst afflicted areas for several months.

"All the preparation and conversations we had couldn't prepare us for the hardships we witnessed," he said.

"People had lost their homes, livestock and crops for this year.

"When we spoke to the victims, you could see the fear and suffering etched on their faces, coupled with a bafflement that someone would travel 4,000 miles to try and ease their pain."

The flooding has been described as the worst Punjab has seen since 1988

The group identified more than 150 families in need, distributing funds directly to them over the last week of their stay.

Many of the people they worked with were farmers or from agricultural communities.

Punjab is often referred to as the "food basket" of India and is a major source for agricultural production, particularly of staples like wheat and rice.

The government said there had been extensive crop damage on some 148,000 hectares of agricultural land, which had been submerged under water.

"It's everything, the land in Punjab, living off the land is everything," Mr Uppal said.

"We were in areas where people have really struggled and what we were trying to do was individual speaking to farmers directly. It's good old fashioned leg work."

The trustees visited agricultural communities to speak directly to those in need and distribute aid

Now back in the UK, Mr Uppal said: "In the end I have been struck by the ability of the Sikh community to rise to the most noble heights in the most difficult of times.

"With everything going on back home, it's just nice to have a positive story about migrant communities giving back."