Punjab, often referred to as the “food bowl” of the country, has repeatedly faced significant floods, presenting a notable irony where the nation’s breadbasket is itself submerged. 

While floods are not a new phenomenon in Punjab, the events of 2025 were particularly intense, marking the most severe flooding since 1988. 

Geographical and Natural Factors Responsible For Floods

• “Panch-Aab” and Fertility: The name “Punjab” itself means “land of five rivers” (Panch + Aab), referring to its perennial rivers, three main ones being the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. 
  • These rivers originate from the Himalayas, bringing fertile alluvial soil that makes Punjab highly productive. 
  • Despite comprising only 1.5% of India’s total area, Punjab produces 20% of the nation’s wheat and 15% of its rice.
• Himalayan Runoff: The rivers flowing into Punjab, originating from the Himalayas, carry a substantial volume of water, especially during heavy rainfall in upstream regions like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Excessive Local Rainfall: Compounding the issue, Punjab often experiences heavy rainfall locally, which, when combined with the water from upstream areas, causes the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers to swell significantly.
• Complex Hydrology: The numerous small streams and rivulets from the hilly areas further add to the complexity of Punjab’s hydrology.
• “Dhusi Bandhs” (Earthen Embankments): Along the riverbanks, there are small, weak earthen embankments known as “dhusi bandhs.” 
  • When river water levels rise excessively due to increased pressure, these non-robust structures often break, leading to widespread flooding in plain areas.

Man-Made Disaster and Governance Failures Responsible For Floods

• Dam Management Dilemma (Bhakra Beas Management Board – BBMB):
  • Key dams like Bhakra (on Sutlej), Pong (on Beas), and Thien (on Ravi) are managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
  • BBMB faces a constant dilemma: whether to maintain sufficient water levels in dams for electricity generation and irrigation or to keep them relatively empty during monsoon season to absorb excess rainfall.
  • Reports for 2025 indicated that BBMB kept the dams full, failing to create adequate space for monsoon rainwater. 
    • This led to an accumulation of water from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and local Punjab rainfall.
    • Consequently, BBMB was forced to open dam gates suddenly and in an uncoordinated manner, directly causing flash floods.
• Trust Deficit:
  • The Punjab government has alleged that the Central Government replaced Punjab and Haryana’s permanent officials in BBMB with Central Government officials, leading to a “trust deficit”.
  • The lack of timely flood warnings and the sudden, uncoordinated release of water from dams are cited as clear failures in governance.
• Illegal Sand Mining: The pervasive illegal sand mining mafia along Punjab’s rivers weakens the “dhusi bandhs” and disturbs the natural river channels, exacerbating the impact of floods when water pressure increases.
• Silt Accumulation: Years of silt accumulation in the rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) have reduced their water-carrying capacity, making them overflow even with slightly increased rainfall. 
  • Efforts for desilting have been insufficient.
• Pakistan’s Concrete Wall: Pakistan has constructed a strong concrete wall on its side of the Ravi River. 
• When water levels rise, this robust barrier diverts the flow towards the Indian side, where weaker “dhusi bandhs” are more prone to breaking, resulting in more severe flooding in Indian Punjab.

Way Forward

• Reforms in BBMB Operations: There is a need for systematic decision-making regarding water storage and release from dams, based on data and proper flood management protocols. 
  • Dam operations should be transparent to foster trust with the Punjab government.
• Structural Measures:
  • Strengthening the “dhusi bandhs” is crucial to prevent breaches.
  • A strict crackdown on illegal sand mining is necessary to protect river structures.
  • Regular desilting of rivers is required to restore their water-carrying capacity.
• Proactive Steps: The flood warning system needs significant strengthening using modern technology.
  • Early and effective flood warnings can enable communities to be better prepared, mitigating the impact of floods

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