CHANDIGARH
Punjab, the country’s grain bowl, is battling one of its worst floods in decades, which have impacted nearly four lakh people, claimed 48 lives, affected about 2,000 villages, and resulted in an estimated loss of over ₹13,000 crore.
While heavy rains and overflowing rivers remain the primary triggers, experts and official assessments stress that human interventions, including blocked drainage systems, encroachments on natural water channels, and unregulated construction activities such as road laying, have aggravated the crisis.
Punjab witnessed major floods in 2023, 2019, 2013, 2010, 2008, and 2004. Each monsoon, which brings nearly 75% of the State’s annual rainfall, floods cause loss of life and extensive damage to crops, houses, and public utilities. This year, the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers are in spate, submerging farmland, roads, and low-lying areas. With the paddy harvest weeks away, standing crops have been destroyed, compounding losses to farmers and the rural economy. Substantial livestock losses have worsened the impact.
Human factors
According to official estimates, crops over 1.72 lakh hectares across 18 of Punjab’s 23 districts have been damaged. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has called it the worst flood in five decades.
“More than 22,000 people have been evacuated. The final report of damage can be prepared after floods recede, but the Union government should promptly release the State’s pending dues amounting to ₹60,000 crore, besides additional financial aid,” he said.
The Water Resources Department’s Flood Preparedness Guidebook 2024 highlights heavy monsoon rain as the most common cause of flooding, but also underscores man-made factors. It warns that physical barriers impede natural drains, while unregulated development, including construction along riverbanks, obstructs water flow. The report also notes that while reservoirs and embankments have mitigated flood risks on the Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi, threats persist due to heavy releases from reservoirs, as well as breaches in embankments.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, during a visit to the State on September 4, blamed illegal mining. “When [late] Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and [late] Prakash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister, embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers were strengthened and raised to protect crops from floods. However, due to illegal mining, they weakened and water entered the villages,” he said. The Finance Minister dismissed Mr. Chouhan’s claim, calling it a “blatant display of bias” against Punjab.
Pattern of neglect
Experts argue that unregulated construction and mining have amplified the State’s vulnerability.
S.K. Saluja, former chief engineer with the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpurkandi dam projects, said: “Encroachments through settlements close to rivers and rivulets have been happening for years. Successive governments have failed to control them.”
Construction works done in an unscientific way also obstruct water flow, Mr. Saluja said, adding that rampant sand mining in riverbeds is a huge problem in Punjab.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 24, the State has received 591.8 mm of rainfall, 53% above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The current floods are being compared to those of 1988, when over 500 people lost their lives.
‘Matter of concern’
Surender Paul, scientist and IMD director at Chandigarh, said the impact of climate change is evident.
“The change in weather patterns is visible owing to climate change. Over the last decade, rainfall has become more inconsistent in Punjab. The monsoon is not uniform, which is a matter of concern,” Mr. Paul said.
Climate expert Soumya Dutta, trustee of MAUSAM (Movement for Advancing Understanding on Sustainability and Mutuality), told The Hindu that global warming is directly intensifying rain.
“The primary driving factor behind heavy rains in Punjab and the northern region is global warming. The Arabian Sea has warmed up unusually, which is bringing more moisture. This is the new normal,” Mr. Dutta said.
She added that the management of hydropower dams must be improved.
Published – September 08, 2025 01:08 am IST
