Mud bridges, night vigils: How Punjab is surviving its flood crisis

At least 50 lives lost. Over 2,000 villages submerged. Punjab is in the grip of its worst flood disaster since 1988, with more than 20 lakh people affected and 3.87 lakh displaced in all 23 districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the state today to assess relief measures. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, recovering in a Mohali hospital, welcomed the visit but renewed his demand for Rs 60,000 crore in pending dues from the Centre and Rs 20,000 crore as immediate flood relief. Ahead of Modi’s arrival, AAP Punjab chief and state minister Aman Arora took a jibe at what he called “mere flood tourism,” pointing out that Mann had already written several times to New Delhi.

The scenes from the ground were heartbreaking as India’s breadbasket state found itself drowning. Farmers watching their paddy fields disappear under brown torrents, and children being evacuated from schools on tractors. Schools in parts of several districts have resumed classes today as district authorities have been told to decide on reopening of educational institutes based on the flood situation in their area.

The deluge began with heavy monsoon rains in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers – the lifelines that usually nourish Punjab’s fertile plains – overflowed, destroying 4.3 lakh acres of agricultural land. 

The devastation was compounded by sudden releases from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams. Built to control floods, they worsened the situation as operators scrambled to prevent overflow, discharging unprecedented volumes of water downstream.

There have been 50 confirmed deaths, though the real toll may be higher as many remote villages remain cut off. Hardayal Singh, a farmer from Gurdaspur who had taken 3 acres on contract, died of a heart attack on September 3, unable to bear watching his entire crop and livelihood wash away.

In border districts like Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Pathankot, already vulnerable due to their location along Pakistan’s frontier, water levels reached 8-10 feet in many areas. The Ghaggar river’s rising waters created panic in the Malwa region, particularly in Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, and Mohali districts.

Not all help is welcome

While National Disaster Response Force teams, the Army, and state machinery swung into action, the ground reality tells a different story. Across Punjab’s flooded districts, the most striking sight is ordinary citizens building makeshift bridges with mud, ferrying supplies on tractors, and organising relief with religious organisations and social groups.

“We Punjabis are known for helping people in disasters,” says Lovepreet Singh of Bathinda, driving a tractor-trolley loaded with rations to affected villages. “How can we let our own brothers and sisters die of hunger?”

The response has been organised, community-driven, and cutting across religious lines. Sikh gurdwaras have opened their langars (community kitchens), Muslim organisations in Malerkotla are distributing food, and village panchayats have become coordination centers. Even people from neighbouring Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have driven tractors loaded with supplies across state borders.

International Sikh organisations such as Khalsa Aid, United Sikhs, and Hemkund Foundation, have mobilised resources, while Punjabi celebrities have used their platforms to raise funds and awareness.

However, not all help has been welcome. A viral video of three Punjab ministers – Barinder Kumar Goyal, Harbhajan Singh ETO, and Laljit Bhullar – touring flood-affected areas while casually discussing their cruise experiences in Goa and Sweden sparked widespread outrage and accusations of insensitivity.

“Leaders of all parties come here to polish their politics,” says Mahinder Singh from Tarn Taran district, watching politicians arrive with camera crews. “They’re only looking at the upcoming by-election. Had they paid attention earlier, we wouldn’t be facing this.”

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has demanded Rs 60,000 crores from the central government and declared Punjab a disaster-affected state, but locals ask whether enough was done to prevent the catastrophe.

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier visited the state on what he said were PM Narendra Modi’s instructions and had been asked to submit a detailed report.

The agriculture apocalypse

For a state that produces 20 percent of India’s wheat and 12 percent of its rice, the agricultural devastation is particularly severe. Early estimates suggest crop damage worth Rs 3,000 crore, but farmers claim the real figure is much higher.

Rice crops are the worst hit, with 3.31 lakh acres destroyed. This is followed by cotton (49,496 acres), sugarcane (21,545 acres), and corn (11,417 acres).

Border districts are the worst affected. Gurdaspur lost 1 lakh acres of crops, Amritsar 70,537 acres, while Fazilka and Mansa saw tens of thousands of acres submerged. In many areas, sand deposits from flood waters may make replanting impossible this season.

The compensation offered – Rs 15,000 per acre for complete crop loss – is what farmer leaders call a drop in the ocean. With paddy procurement scheduled to begin October 1, thousands of farmers face not just immediate losses but potential long-term debt.

Adding insult to injury, Punjab is one of the few states where the central government’s crop insurance scheme doesn’t operate, leaving farmers entirely dependent on state compensation that many consider inadequate.

Echoes of 1988

For older residents, the 2024 floods evoke memories of Punjab’s last major flood disaster in 1988, when 9,000 of the state’s 12,989 villages were affected and 1,500 people died. Some also recall the floods of 1955-60, part of a pattern that has seen major flooding in 1993, 1995, 2010, 2013, 2019, and 2023.

The recurring nature of these disasters has raised questions about Punjab’s preparedness and long-term planning.

Environment expert Vijay Bambeli points to systemic issues. “This has happened due to human interference with nature’s systems driven by greed. The non-scientific development model we’ve adopted is leading to environmental destruction.”

He points to construction on riverbanks, illegal mining, lack of river and drain cleaning before monsoons, and environmental damage from decades of intensive agriculture.

There is also a focus on the controversial decision to release massive volumes of water from major dams. The Bhakra dam, filled to 1,677.84 feet against its 1,680-feet capacity, increased discharge from 65,000 to 75,000 cusecs as officials struggled to prevent overflow.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher questions the timing. “Who told dam officials to first stop the water and then release it all at once? 14.11 lakh cusecs was released into the Ravi river, submerging Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Pathankot.”

Border on edge

The crisis is more acute in border villages. 

In Gurdaspur’s 335 affected villages, many sit on the “zero line” with Pakistan. Makoda Pattan village saw part of the India-Pakistan border fence washed away, while 400 students had to be rescued from a Navodaya Vidyalaya.

Ishwar Singh from Singowal village says, “I drive a school bus for Rs 5,000 per month. My mother is a domestic worker. I have two small children. My house is destroyed. Now the village sarpanch and others are helping me.”

Tarn Taran’s Mehndipur village lost its bridge, cutting off several settlements; Pathankot’s zero-line villages remain submerged; Fazilka’s 50 affected villages are caught between the Sutlej river and the Pakistan border.

As floodwaters slowly recede, Punjab faces a massive reconstruction challenge. The immediate priorities are to rescue the stranded people (22,938 evacuated so far), providing shelter (5,404 people in 219 relief camps), and restoring basic services.

But longer-term questions loom large. 

How will the state compensate farmers facing crop losses that far exceed available funds? How can Punjab break the cycle of recurring floods? The Punjab government had actually prepared a flood prevention guide book in 2024 with expert recommendations. It was never implemented.

As rescue operations continue and political blame games intensify, what stands out is the resilience of the people. In village after village, communities are mixing mud for temporary bridges, organising relief distribution, maintaining night vigils on river embankments to watch for dam breaks.

Local farmer Jasvir Singh from Tarn Taran exemplifies this spirit. “The water in the river is fast. We keep watch every night so that the dam doesn’t crack.”

This report was first published on Newslaundry Hindi.

Small teams can do great things. All it takes is a subscription. Subscribe now and power Newslaundry’s work.