Punjab, the heartland of India’s agriculture, has long been associated with prosperity, yet it has also endured repeated episodes of flooding that bring untold misery to its people. What makes this recurring tragedy especially disheartening is that much of it is not solely the work of nature. Instead, these floods are often described as “manmade,” driven by poor planning, sudden dam water releases, encroachment on riverbeds, and inadequate maintenance of flood-control systems. For farmers who already struggle with falling crop prices and mounting debt, these floods are not just natural disasters—they are preventable blows that destroy livelihoods and deepen despair.
The state has a long history of suffering from floods. The great floods of 1988 were among the most destructive in Punjab’s modern history, submerging large swathes of farmland and displacing lakhs of people. Again in 1993, the state was battered by devastating floods that highlighted the absence of proper drainage and flood-control infrastructure. In more recent times, the 2019 floods hit Punjab with equal force, when excessive rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab led to the release of water from the Bhakra Dam. Districts like Jalandhar, Ropar, and Ferozepur bore the brunt, with thousands of homes and crops wiped out. Each of these events exposed the same pattern—lack of preparedness, poor coordination, and delayed responses—showing that little has been learned over decades of repeated tragedy.
The story has been no different in the last three years. In July 2023, heavy rainfall combined with sudden releases from the Bhakra and Pong dams caused havoc across districts such as Ropar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, and Hoshiarpur. Over 1,600 villages were affected, about 50,000 hectares of crops were ruined, and more than 30,000 people had to be evacuated. The following year, in August 2024, excessive rainfall in Himachal Pradesh again forced the release of huge volumes of water into the Sutlej River. The downstream effect was catastrophic for Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Moga, where families complained that warnings were either absent or too late. Farmers watched helplessly as their fields were submerged, with losses running into thousands of crores. In July 2025, the cycle repeated yet again. The Bhakra Dam authorities released large volumes of water after continuous rainfall in the catchment area, leading to breaches in embankments along the Sutlej. More than 200 villages in Ropar, Ferozepur, and Moga were submerged, displacing nearly three lakh people.
The root causes of these “manmade floods” are clear. Water is often discharged from dams suddenly and in large quantities, without gradual release or adequate advance warning. Over the years, illegal construction and rampant sand mining have narrowed riverbeds, reducing their natural capacity to absorb water. The state’s drainage system, essential for diverting floodwaters, remains choked with silt because routine desilting is either neglected or performed half-heartedly. To make matters worse, Punjab’s dependence on upstream states such as Himachal Pradesh and Haryana makes it highly vulnerable. These states frequently take independent decisions on water release without coordinated planning, leaving Punjab’s downstream districts to face the worst consequences.
It was against this backdrop of recurring disasters that the Government of India enacted the Dam Safety Act in December 2021. This landmark legislation aims to establish a comprehensive framework for the management and safety of over 5,700 large dams in the country. It created a National Committee on Dam Safety to develop policies and technical standards, alongside the National Dam Safety Authority to ensure uniform implementation and resolve interstate disputes. Each state was directed to set up its own Dam Safety Organization responsible for inspections, monitoring, and risk assessments. The law also made it mandatory for every dam to have an emergency action plan that includes early warning systems and safety audits. Most importantly, the Act places direct accountability on dam owners and operators, with penalties prescribed for negligence.
For Punjab, the Dam Safety Act carries particular importance. The state’s vulnerability stems from its dependence on dams located upstream, especially in Himachal Pradesh. If the Act is enforced in its true spirit, it can prevent the recurring disasters that Punjab has endured for decades. By mandating gradual and coordinated water releases, ensuring advance warning systems for people living in flood-prone areas, and holding dam authorities legally accountable, the Act provides a lifeline for Punjab’s rural and urban communities alike. Farmers, who suffer the most when floods strike, would especially benefit from such accountability, as it would reduce the scale of damage to crops and livelihoods.
However, legislation alone cannot solve the problem. Punjab must also invest in long-term reforms to strengthen its resilience against floods. This includes regular desilting of drains and canals to restore natural water flow, removal of encroachments from riverbeds, and strict control of illegal sand mining. Local communities living in vulnerable areas must be integrated into early-warning systems and disaster-preparedness programs so they are not caught unaware when floodwaters arrive. Equally critical is the need for institutionalized coordination between Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana to ensure scientific and gradual release of dam water instead of sudden discharges. Compensation for affected farmers and families must also be provided swiftly and transparently to prevent prolonged suffering and debt.
Punjab, the heartland of India’s agriculture, has faced devastating floods not only in 2023–2025 but historically in years such as 1988, 1993, and 2019. The 1988 floods alone submerged thousands of villages, affecting over 34 lakh people. Rainfall in upstream regions was heavy and dam management was blamed for sudden releases of water, yet official monetary estimates from that time are missing in public records, leaving the full cost of that disaster unclear. The 1993 floods similarly wrought heavy destruction though again, no reliable comprehensive cost figures have been found for that event in accessible sources.
In contrast, the 2025 floods present more detailed figures. The state has preliminarily assessed losses at about ₹13,500 crore, with agriculture and rural infrastructure hardest hit. Departments across Punjab — water, rural development, power, roads — have claimed damages in specific ranges (e.g. Water Resources around ₹1,520 crore, rural development ₹5,043 crore) while crop‐loss compensation efforts for roughly 4.29 lakh acres of fully damaged crops might cost ~ ₹644 crore under existing schemes. These figures show the rising scale of financial loss and underline both the increased frequency of damaging floods and the growing awareness (or urgency) in quantifying losses.
The contrast between earlier floods like 1988/1993 (where human, agricultural, infrastructural damage is well noted but financial costs under‐documented) and recent floods (where data is more systematically collected) highlights the importance of robust monitoring, damage reporting, and legal and administrative frameworks. Legislation like the Dam Safety Act can help with that, by enforcing not only safety and damage prevention, but also accountability and clear assessments post-flood.