One of the worst floods to strike Punjab in recent times has hit the state and all 23 districts of the state have been declared flood-afflicted . Almost 1,902 villages are underwater, impacting an excess of 3.8 lakh , and over 11.7 lakh hectares of agricultural lands is destroyed. Gurdaspur is most severely affected in the northern district with 329 villages being submerged. This has cost at least 43 lives , and in the adjacent country, Pakistan, Punjab province, more than 9 lakh people are displaced by floods with the same number of casualties.
Geographic and Climatic Situation.
Naturally, Punjab, known as the land of five rivers, the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, and seasonal rivers such as Ghaggar have flood prone nature. Monsoon rains in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have overstretched rivers. The downpours in Himachal led to the overflow of the Beas in August and the Rain in Jammu and Kashmir led to the overflow of the river Ravi, which broke through two gates of the Madhopur Barrage , at Pathankot. Local rains also caused waterlogging that was widespread in the Malwa region of southern Punjab.
History and Rainfall Trends of Flooding.
Significant floods have hit Punjab in 1955, 1988, 1993, 2019 and 2023 . The amounts of rain experienced in 2025 are 45 percent greater than normal , flooding rivers and reservoirs. This trend underscores the growing severity of extreme weather that is associated with the variability of climatic conditions.
Dams and Reservoir Management Role.
There are three large dams: Bhakra on Sutlej, Pong on Beas, and Thein (Ranjit Sagar) on Ravi that are very important in regulating water. These reservoirs are managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd and tend to favor irrigation and power at the expense of flood control. Downstream flooding was aggravated by sudden and vast releases of big inflows, particularly of Pong dam this year.
Coordination Challenges
Punjab has continuously complained of low flood management level as well as delayed information in water discharges by the BBMB . Mistrust has been compounded by changes in governance in 2022 to permit officers outside Punjab and Haryana. There was also poor coordination in the operations of the gates at Madhopur Barrage that contributed to the crisis.
Infrastructure and Environmental Problems.
The dhussi bundhs (earthen embankments) in Punjab are still fragile owing to unauthorized mining and such degradation . Experts suggest that embankments be made stronger, river bottlenecks be desilted and long-term flood defences incurred long-term investment of Rs 4,000-5,000 crore . Nevertheless, flood preparedness remains a reactionary, but not proactive, measure.
The 2025 floods demonstrate the necessity to improve reservor coordination, tougher infrastructure, and active flood management to prevent the loss of people and agriculture in Punjab.