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The five-member family of 53-year-old farmer Harbans Singh Virk from Chamaru Kheda village in Punjab’s Patiala district has been in ‘battle mode’ for three days. The rations stored at home have been spoiled. There is no fodder left for the cattle. The only hope is from the local gurdwara, which is providing food from its langar (community kitchen) as well as fodder for the cattle.
As it suffers from some of the worst floods in its history, Punjab is scripting a story of brotherhood, one whose vibe can only be felt if you come amid the victims. Residents are forgetting their own pain and suffering and helping each other.
Farmers are bringing langar food in their tractor trolleys for people stranded in the floods, along with fodder for cattle. Joginder Singh of Untsar village, who is engaged in langar ‘sewa’, said, “We are running the tractors by filling diesel ourselves.”
As the Down to Earth team approached Chamaru village from the main road late on the evening of September 4, 2025, the entire area had a dystopian feel. There was water in the fields and on the roads.
The ripe paddy crop of the farmers had been destroyed. It was difficult to move ahead. Electricity poles had been broken. Consequently, there was no power. At least 20 villages had been affected by the floods. In five villages, water even entered the houses. Tractors are the only means of transport to go there.
Langar food was being served to flood victims from the local gurdwara in Jand Mangoli village, 10 kilometres away from the flood-affected area. Here, volunteer Jogendra Singh said, “Till some time back, we were helping flood victims in Gurdaspur. Who knew that we ourselves would be affected by the flood and would now be in need of help.”
Villagers come to the gurdwara in the morning with their tractors. Fodder is loaded on the trolley and made available to the cattle in the flood-affected villages.
An alert has been sounded in Patiala district’s villages—Tepla, Rajgarh, Mahmoodpur, Darwa, Sanjarpur, Nanheri, Raipur, Shamspur, Untsar, Jand Mangoli, Harpala, Kami Khurd, Rampur, Saunta, Chamaru, Kapuri, Kamalpur, Lachru Khurd, Sarla Kalan, Mahduda and Sarla Khurd. Gurdwara management committee volunteer Saranjit Singh said no help is coming from the government.
“Not a single boat from the administration reached here. A little ration came. The gurdwara management has decided that next time, they will buy their own boat so that people can be helped during such difficult situations.”
Some elderly people are praying for everyone’s health and safety on the road itself. Mastan Singh of Pipal Mangoli said, “We have each other’s support. We feel each other’s pain. The crops are destroyed. Our hard work has gone to waste. This is a difficult time, but we cannot cry. What good will crying do? We have to keep up our spirits. That’s why we are all standing with each other, so that by looking after each other we can overcome this difficult time.”
Saranjit Singh said, “Leaders do not come here. They come to a place, get their photos clicked and go back. The administration is doing the same thing here in the name of flood prevention. We are praying that everyone remains in high spirits. Because only with strength can bad times be overcome.”
Farmers Mahendra Singh (56) of Ali Majra, Patiala, Labh Singh (65) and Bhavtar Singh of Jand Mangoli said at least 5,000 acres of land in the area has been flooded. This time paddy was planted before time. The crop was almost ready to be harvested. But now it is all gone.
Labh Singh said there are farmers here who had taken land on contract at Rs 80,000 per acre and planted paddy. Till now, an average of Rs 30,000 has been spent on paddy cultivation. But the flood destroyed everything.
“Once the floodwaters recede, we will go to the fields and see what is left. Right now, we don’t even have the courage to look at the fields. It will not be easy for the farmers who are already drowning in debt to come out of this situation,” said Labh Singh.