The Punjab region is reeling from severe flooding in 2025, with the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers experiencing alarming water level surges due to heavy monsoon rains and water releases from dams. This has led to widespread inundation, affecting thousands of villages and acres of farmland, and drawing comparisons to the devastating floods of 1988.

Current Situation

Around 1,000 villages in eight districts of Punjab have been affected by the floods, considered the worst in nearly four decades. Over 61,000 hectares of farmland have been submerged, particularly in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, and Barnala districts. Approximately 1.46 million residents in Punjab have been impacted, leading to large-scale evacuations and school closures. As of early September 2025, the floods have claimed at least 29 lives in Punjab, with the highest number of deaths reported in Pathankot district. Over 2.46 lakh people have been affected, with 1.45 lakh in Gurdaspur alone. More than 15,600 people have been evacuated. The continuous rainfall has broken records of the last 55 years in the state.

Comparison to 1988 Floods

The current floods have evoked painful memories of the 1988 floods, which remain etched in Punjab's history as one of its deadliest water disasters. During the 1988 floods, all the rivers in Punjab overflowed, killing and displacing thousands of people. An estimated 600 to 1,500 deaths occurred in the Indian Punjab alone. Approximately 9,000 of Punjab's 12,989 villages were flooded, disrupting the lives of over 3.4 million people. The 1988 flood was considered the biggest in Punjab's history. Some reports indicate that the water flow in the Ravi River during the current floods has even surpassed the levels recorded in 1988.

Causes and Impact

The floods have been attributed to unusually heavy monsoon rains in the upper catchment areas, particularly Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, along with surplus water releases from dams like Pong, Ranjit Sagar, and Bhakra. Climate change has also been identified as a major cause, with increased frequency of climate-induced climatic extremes. The overflowing water entered Punjab through the Beas, Ghaggar, and Sutlej rivers, damaging approximately 2.21 lakh hectares of cropped area. The failure of successive governments to desilt rivers, reducing their water-carrying capacity, has also exacerbated the situation. Thousands of acres of land have been inundated, and hundreds of livestock have been killed.

The floods have resulted in extensive financial losses to farmers, particularly in the paddy-growing season, with approximately 2.32 lakh acres of land submerged across the state. There are reports of villages being completely submerged, with essential services disrupted. The loss of livestock and damage to infrastructure are expected to add to the financial burden on the state.

Relief Efforts and Government Response

National and state-level agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF, Army, BSF, and local NGOs, have mounted extensive rescue operations. The Army has evacuated individuals via helicopter airlifts from affected areas. Drones have been deployed to deliver medicines and food to remote areas, and amphibious vehicles have facilitated evacuations. Relief camps have been set up to provide shelter to displaced residents. Schools across Punjab were closed as a safety precaution. The state government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has conducted aerial surveys and ordered a special girdawari (damage assessment), promising full compensation for flood-related losses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of full support and assistance from the central government. The central government has constituted Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to assess the damage caused by the heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides in Punjab. The teams will conduct on-the-spot assessments of the situation and the relief work being carried out by state governments.

Community Support

Various individuals and organizations are providing critical support to the flood victims. Punjabi actors like Diljit Dosanjh, Ammy Virk, and Sonam Bajwa have come forward to help the victims in the flood-affected areas. Dosanjh has adopted 10 villages in Gurdaspur and Amritsar, focusing on providing essentials like food, water, and medical aid. Virk has pledged to assist 200 families affected by the floods. The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, has mobilized relief efforts, reaching flood-hit communities by boat and distributing cooked meals, milk, clean drinking water, relief kits, and fodder for animals. Khalsa Aid has been carrying out large-scale relief operations in four flood-affected districts of Punjab, rescuing stranded families and their livestock, and providing essential supplies.