Punjab, a state in northwestern India, experiences regular monsoon floods primarily because the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers overflow their banks, causing excessive water from the reservoirs of Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar to be released. The state’s flat plains make it susceptible to inundation from this flooding. Despite existing flood management plans and other flood control measures, these floods lead to loss of thousands of acres of crop land; human and livestock deaths; damage to property, resources and environment in various parts especially the bet (flood plains) areas of the state.
Climate change-induced intensive and prolonged rain in the last weeks of August and early September 2025 in the northwestern parts of India have caused devastating flash floods in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. Although, Punjab witnessed major floods in September 1988, July 1993 and August 2013 in areas along the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, the floods of August 2025 are being considered as the worst in the last three decades because of the excessive damage they caused.
Various news reports claimed that over 350,000 people have been affected by the floods in Punjab. Among the major flood affected districts, Gurdaspur is the worst-hit, followed by Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka. Over 37 lives have been lost.
According to the statement of the state’s Minister for Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Hardeep Singh Mundian, over 148,000 hectares of agricultural land, particularly paddy crops, has been submerged and floodwaters have spread over 1,400 villages across the districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Jalandhar and Rupnagar (Ropar). The Patiala district also reported inundation in villages along the Ghaggar river bordering Haryana. Punjab later declared all 23 districts as flood-hit.
Interestingly, Punjab’s major cities namely Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and state capital Chandigarh also reported urban flash floods, leading to submergence of roads, residential and commercial complexes because of heavy and incessant rainfall between September 1 and September 3, 2025. This phenomenon of intensive rainfall over a short period of time has seemingly become common in Punjab and other neighbouring states of northwestern India in recent times. Further, the occurrence of urban flash floods highlights the urgent need of upgrading outdated sewerage and drainage systems in these cities.
An analysis of various news reports and social media platform videos shows that besides government and administrative officials, local villagers played a key role in organizing many rescue and relief activities like plugging of breached temporary embankments (Dhussi Bandhs) of rivers; shifting residents from flood-affected areas to the shelters arranged at Dharqmshalas and Gurdwaras, community centres and schools; providing food to flood victims by arranging langars (community kitchens); and alerting residents about flood situations from the village gurdwara loud speakers and social media platforms videos. Various international, national and local non-profits, social media influencers, eminent Punjabi singers and actors also supported and funded the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas of the state.
The major reasons for the widespread floods of 2025 include both natural and human factors. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the newspaper The Tribune, Punjab recorded 24 per cent surplus rain till August 30 where it recorded 443 millimetres (mm) rainfall, compared to the seasonal average of 357.1 mm. Further, India received 48 per cent more rainfall than normal between August 28 and September 3, with an average rainfall of 75.2 mm. Total rainfall in this monsoon season so far has been 8 per cent higher than normal. Thus, northwestern India has received heavy monsoon rains this year, causing flooding in many states including Punjab. The cloudburst-induced heavy surface runoff from neighbouring Himachal Pradesh led to a sudden rise in the water level of the three rivers flowing through Punjab. The activation of the monsoon trough, western disturbances and cyclonic systems are being considered as the main reasons for the increased rainfall in the region. The human factors for worsening the flood situation included the breaching of temporary embankments, known as Dhussi Bandhs, along the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers. This was due to insufficient pre-monsoon strengthening, raising and maintenance of these weak Dhussi Bandhs. Increasing illegal encroachments in the form of cultivation and setting up of settlements on the floodplains of the major rivers contributed to the maximum damage. Glaring examples of encroachments on riverbeds include there being 50,000 people on the ‘Bela belt’ in Rupnagar’s stretch of the Sutlej and the existence of 450 villages on the floodplains of the Beas and Ravi in Gurdaspur as reported in The Tribune proves the apathy of the government in dealing with this issue. Reduction in the water carrying capacity of Punjab’s dams and its rivers due to siltation and the failure of authorities to desilt these aggravated the flood situation in the state. Blocked canals and drains were a significant cause of flooding in the southwestern districts of Punjab, where an intensive network of canals exists. Human-made obstructions like construction of roads, poorly planned bridges and concrete walling on or across the natural drainage systems like choes (seasonal rivulets) stopped the natural flow of excess water into the major rivers and led to the new phenomenon of urban flash floods. Lastly, despite the presence of district flood management plans, their implementation was often delayed and limited in scope in the state.
The author recommends the following measures to mitigate the risks and impacts of flooding. These are:
1) Enforcing floodplain zoning regulations, encroachment into flood limits and flood fringes beyond the normal channel that are vulnerable to flooding may be prevented, which helps to minimise loss of crops, property and lives.
2) Effective flood management also requires the collaboration of various departments, such as the IMD, irrigation department and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), for better planning, monitoring, mapping of the vulnerable areas and early warning mechanisms.
3) Proactive physical measures are also crucial. This includes the construction and regular maintenance of temporary embankments at sensitive sites and de-siltation of dams and rivers, especially before the monsoon season, to prevent rivers and dams from overflowing.
4) Upgradation and modernisation of old sewerage and drainage systems including rejuvenation of storm water drains in urban areas.
5) Proper funding must be allocated for cleaning blocked canal and sewage drains, which are a major cause of urban flooding.
6) When a flood occurs, providing timely financial compensation for damages is essential for helping affected communities recover especially from outbreak of water-borne diseases.
6) Community involvement is also key, so local people and non-profits should be included in preparedness and relief activities.
Finally, ensuring full financial and political support for district disaster response centres strengthens their capacity to effectively coordinate and respond to flood events.
Sucha Singh is Assistant Professor in Geography, Centre for Distance and Online Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth