Devastating floods in Punjab have claimed 46 lives and affected almost 2,000 villages across all districts, officials said on Saturday. State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema described the floods as the worst in five decades, caused by relentless rainfall in Punjab and neighboring hill states.

The floods, which began in August 2025, are attributed to unusually heavy monsoon rains in the upper catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. In addition to the heavy rainfall, surplus water released from dams, including Pong, Ranjit Sagar, and Bhakra, intensified the flooding in downstream districts, especially along the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers.

As the floodwaters continued to rise, an additional 48 villages came under threat, with a marginal increase in crop damage. The total loss to crops has been assessed at 1.75 lakh hectares. Gurdaspur is the most affected, with over 40,169 hectares (over 1 lakh acres) of crop damage.

The floods have impacted 387,013 people, with Gurdaspur being the worst hit, affecting 1.45 lakh people, followed by Amritsar with 135,880, Ferozepur with over 38,000, and Fazilka with over 24,000.

Rescue operations are underway in nearly all of Punjab's 23 districts. Authorities have been distributing essential aid, including food and tarpaulins, to impacted residents. Since the beginning of the crisis, 22,854 people have been rescued from flooded villages, with 5,581 from Gurdaspur alone. As of now, 139 out of 219 relief camps are active, providing shelter to 6,131 people.

The rescue operations involve multiple agencies, including the NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police, and district authorities. Twenty-four NDRF teams have been deployed in the affected districts. The Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy have also deployed resources, including over 30 helicopters from the Indian Air Force and Army, for rescue and relief efforts. The BSF is assisting in rescue operations, and the state government has provided 144 boats.

The floods have caused extensive damage to infrastructure and property. Over 1,400 villages across Punjab have been flooded, and more than 2.5 lakh acres of farmland have been submerged. Approximately 30 km of fencing along the Indo-Pak international border has been damaged. A BSF post near the Kartarpur Corridor is submerged, which has led to the temporary relocation of BSF personnel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Dera Baba Nanak.

The situation in Punjab remains grim, and authorities are working to provide assistance to those affected and to manage the ongoing crisis.