Monsoon devastation in Punjab has submerged the entire state. The worst flooding in decades has crippled life, with 51 deaths and over 3.87 lakh people affected so far. The overflowing of major rivers like Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, additional water from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, and incessant heavy rainfall have submerged nearly 2,000 villages across 23 districts. Over 1.75 lakh hectares of crops have been ruined in the agrarian state, devastating farmers.
This flooding began in the first week of August, but intensified in September. Initially confined to 12 districts, the disaster has now spread across all 23. The worst affected districts are Gurdaspur (323 villages), Kapurthala (107), Firozpur (101), Pathankot (89), Hoshiarpur (85) and Amritsar. Pathankot reported the highest number of deaths at 6, while Amritsar, Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Mansa reported 3 deaths each. In Ludhiana, erosion in the Sutlej river embankment threatens to inundate 15 villages, and floodwaters could reach urban areas like Rahon Road and Tibba Road.
According to the meteorological department, there is no rain warning for the next two days, leading to a gradual improvement in the situation. However, the Ghaggar river water level is still at a dangerous level. Experts believe that climate change, a poor drainage system and illegal mining have exacerbated the disaster. While an average of 7.5 million hectares of land is affected by floods in India every year, this time 1.17 million hectares of agricultural land has been destroyed in Punjab.
For rescue operations, 23 NDRF teams, the army, air force, BSF and SDRF have jointly moved over 22,000 people to safer locations. 35 helicopters, 12 military units and 114 boats are involved in relief efforts. Over 200 relief camps have been set up in the state, sheltering more than 6,000 people. Gurdwaras and NGOs are distributing food, clothes and medicines.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the affected areas and requested ₹60,000 crore in special assistance from the central government. He assured farmers of ₹50,000 per acre in compensation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders also arrived to review relief efforts. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar donated ₹5 crore, while stars like Sonu Sood and Diljit Dosanjh came forward to help. The Haryana government announced ₹5 crore in aid.
