Punjab is in a state of despair after being ravaged by the worst floods in decades, with more than 1,200 villages submerged and lakhs of people displaced. Declaring the state disaster-affected, Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, who also chairs the State Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act, 2025, authorised district magistrates to issue all requisite orders under Section 34 of the Act to tackle the threatening disaster situation.
Heavy monsoon rains, compounded by the release of water from major dams, have inundated large swathes of farmland in Punjab. Nearly 3.75 lakh acres of paddy fields remain submerged, devastating crops just weeks before harvest. Livestock losses have been widespread, delivering a crippling blow to rural households that depend on dairy and animal husbandry for survival.
Water levels in the Bhakra and Pong dams have climbed dangerously close to their thresholds, while the Sutlej at Harike and Hussainiwala is flowing at high flood levels, intensifying the crisis. Connectivity across several districts has been cut off, isolating villages and leaving residents without access to food, drinking water, and medical supplies.
With conditions worsening by the hour, Punjab faces a humanitarian emergency, as authorities brace for further flooding in the coming days.
