Context: Punjab, often described as the “land of five rivers” and the “food bowl of India,” faces recurrent floods that devastate lives, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Factors responsible for recurrent floods in Punjab.
Historical records show that Punjab has faced major floods in 1955, 1988, 1993, 2019, 2023. In 2025, all 23 districts of the state have been declared flood-hit with more than 3.8 lakh people affected and over 11.7 lakh hectares of farmland destroyed.
Factors responsible for Floods
- Geographical and Natural Factors: Punjab has three perennial rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and seasonal rivers like the Ghaggar, numerous hill streams and seasonal streams which make it naturally flood-prone. Heavy monsoon rainfall in Punjab and upstream states like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir causes rivers to swell beyond capacity.
- Failures of Flood Protection Infrastructure: Floods are aggravated by poor upkeep of barrages. Poor maintenance and lack of periodic strengthening of Earthen embankments (dhussi bundhs) reduce their effectiveness during extreme events. E.g., Madhopur Barrage gate failure in 2025.
- Role of Dams and Barrages:
- Bhakra Dam (Sutlej), Pong Dam (Beas), and Thein/Ranjit Sagar Dam (Ravi) are managed mainly for irrigation and power, not flood control. Excessive rainfall forces dam authorities to release large volumes of water suddenly to prevent overtopping which floods downstream areas.
- Punjab alleges that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) keeps reservoir levels high in July-August to secure irrigation and hydropower needs, leaving little flood cushion for late monsoon rains.
- Governance and Institutional Problems:
- Punjab has limited say in the decision-making of the BBMB, especially after the 2022 amendment that allowed officers from across India (not just Punjab and Haryana) to hold top posts.
- Lack of coordination and delayed warnings between dam operators and state authorities worsen the damage.
- Governments typically adopt a reactive rather than preventive approach, focusing on relief after disasters instead of long-term mitigation measures like desilting rivers and strengthening embankments.
- Border and Strategic Dimensions: Ravi river partly flows through Pakistan, where the military has built strong embankments and flood-control structures, altering the river’s behaviour and increasing risks for India’s side.
- Climate Change Factor: Monsoons in South Asia have become more volatile, with 2025 witnessing 15-30% above-normal rainfall in Himachal, J&K, and Punjab. Extreme rainfall events are reducing the effectiveness of traditional dam rule curves and embankment defences.
Socio-Economic Consequences of Floods:
- Floods devastate Agriculture, destroying standing crops like paddy and delaying wheat sowing, directly impacting national food security.
- Farmers lose not just crops but face costs of de-silting fields, repairing tube wells, and restoring soil health.
- Agricultural labourers (dependent on seasonal employment) face joblessness and social insecurity after floods.
- Rural economies collapse temporarily with large-scale distress migration possible in worst-hit areas.
Way Forward
- Scientific Dam Management: Reservoirs should maintain a flood cushion during monsoon months with real-time monitoring and transparent release protocols.
- Strengthening Embankments: Earthen dhussi bundhs must be reinforced, illegal sand mining curbed, and concrete structures built in vulnerable stretches, especially along border rivers.
- Desilting and River Training: Rivers should be regularly desilted and trained to remove bottlenecks and increase their carrying capacity.
- Integrated Early Warning Systems: A coordinated early warning system should link IMD, dam authorities, irrigation departments, and district administrations.
- Reform of Indus Waters Treaty: The treaty should be updated to incorporate adaptive management and climate change resilience.
- Comprehensive Relief Mechanism: Direct Benefit Transfers should be expanded to provide quick and targeted relief to farmers and agricultural labourers
Without structural reforms in dam governance, embankment strengthening, and adaptive water-sharing policies, Punjab will continue to face devastation. Effective flood management is critical not only for the state’s security and economy but also for India’s national food security and border stability.