The wounds inflicted by recent floods remain fresh, but Punjab is already bracing itself for another monsoon with deep apprehension. The deluges of 2023 and 2025 were not merely acts of nature unleashed; they represent the worst flooding Punjab has witnessed in four decades. More than anything else, much of this devastation was entirely preventable.
The human and economic toll of these two years alone is staggering. In 2023 and 2025 combined, 80 lives were lost to the floods. Over 3 lakh livestock—including cattle, buffaloes, and goats—perished, devastating rural families who rely on these animals for their daily livelihood and sustenance.
The repercussions on Punjab’s agrarian economy have been catastrophic. Thousands of acres of standing paddy were drowned. The damage, however, does not stop when the water recedes; the deluge leaves behind massive deposition of sand and silt, rendering once-fertile agricultural lands temporarily barren. The total financial blow is estimated in thousands of crores, crippling every segment of the rural economy—from farmers and labourers to traders and transporters whose fortunes are tied to the soil.
Unheeded warnings
What makes these disasters truly shocking is that they were foreseeable. In 2025, the meteorological department provided a clear 17-day advance warning of the impending calamity. Yet, when the monsoon arrived on June 22, the state was caught off guard. Despite an allocation of ₹117 crore for the repair of 2,800 km of dhussi bundhs (embankments) and drainage systems across 23 districts, bureaucratic delays squeezed the execution window into impossibility.
The infrastructure failure was glaring. At the Madhopur headworks, the lack of maintenance left only four of the 28 floodgates functional. Consequently, the crucial, controlled release of water from major reservoirs like the Ranjit Sagar and Pong dams could not be executed effectively.
Compounding this is a siltation crisis. Punjab’s river systems are choking. The Gobind Sagar Dam alone has lost nearly 2 billion cubic metres of its 9-billion-cubic-metre capacity due to silt accumulation ranging from 100 to 200 feet deep. This reduces the dam’s effective rainwater storage and regulation capacity by over 20%. The same crisis plagues the Sutlej, Beas, and Ghaggar rivers. Their beds have risen so high that even moderate rainfall triggers immediate flooding. Desiltation work remains late, slow, and inadequate—leaving the state defenceless when the skies finally open.
El Niño threat
The monsoon ahead looks even more challenging. Weather authorities have sounded alarms over highly unpredictable monsoon patterns influenced by El Niño. Even if aggregated data points to normal rainfall, the state is highly likely to experience extended dry spells punctuated by intense, concentrated, and extreme cloudburst events. Punjab’s four major lifelines—the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar—remain high-risk zones, putting the already battered districts right back in the crosshairs.
With months already slipped away since the 2025 floods, there is zero time left for ad-hoc preparation. Punjab urgently requires a comprehensive flood resilience and water security strategy. This must include building dedicated flood-control dams, creating smaller downstream storage reservoirs, and reinforcing vulnerable embankments with RCC linings and sheet protection.
We must also embrace a technological transformation. Modern rainfall forecasting must integrate satellite mapping, AI-driven rain modelling, and computerised flood-warning systems to give local communities decisive lead time. Simultaneously, we must restore our natural wetlands to act as buffers and adopt science-driven, dynamic reservoir management for water release, completely removing political or bureaucratic hesitation from the equation.
Test of governance
Ultimately, this is a question of accountability. Every flood cycle follows a predictable, frustrating script: Widespread devastation, official expressions of sorrow, promises of compensation, and then a return to business-as-usual until the next monsoon arrives.
The people of Punjab have always shown incredible resilience. In times of crisis, our farmers have stepped up to rescue strangers, and our gurdwaras have seamlessly transformed into centres of relief and hope.
However, ordinary citizens should not be forced to permanently compensate for administrative failure. The people of Punjab deserve a calibre of governance that matches their own courage—a system that plans, invests, and maintains infrastructure as an all-year-round priority. The monsoons will not wait for us to get our act together. satnam.sandhu@sansad.nic.in
The writer is a Rajya Sabha member and is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Views expressed are personal.
