Floods inundate paddy on 2.90 lakh acres; over 400 villages marooned in Punjab

Officials said that most of the inundated land was under paddy cultivation, raising fears of massive crop losses at a time when harvesting is just weeks away.

Written by Anju Agnihotri Chaba

Chandigarh | Updated: August 29, 2025 09:58 AM IST

The view is of the Mand area in the Sultanpur Lodhi area of District Kapurthala where a large farm land inundated by flood waters. (Express)

Floodwaters have devastated large swathes of Punjab, submerging around 2.9 lakh acres of farmland across more than 400 villages in over half a dozen districts.

Officials said that most of the inundated land was under paddy cultivation, raising fears of massive crop losses at a time when harvesting is just weeks away.

According to official figures, over 400 villages are under floodwater, including nearly 46 in Sultanpur Lodhi subdivision of Kapurthala district. While 6,000 people still live in about 16 of these villages, 30 villages, though uninhabited, are intensively farmed and now lie under water.

Apart from Kapurthala, the flood has affected 23, 150, 100, 50 ,65 and 15 villages in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran Ferozepur, and Fazilka districts, respectively. As the villages are located along Ravi and Beas rivers, which are flowing above danger levels.

Director of Punjab Agriculture Department Jaswant Singh said that the situation remains grim. “At present, nearly 2.90 lakh acres of farmland are under floodwater. Water levels are up to 5 feet in some areas. If the water recedes soon, there is still some hope, as the paddy crop can withstand water stress to an extent,” he said, adding that the water has receded from around 24,000 acres and now we will inspect the condition of the crop on these farm lands.

In Kapurthala district alone, 480 people have been rescued so far, but many continue to stay inside their waterlogged homes, unwilling to leave behind belongings and livestock. Authorities are providing boats and relief material to the stranded families, even as rescue operations continue.

Agricultural experts warn that if stagnant water is not cleared quickly, the paddy crop may begin to rot, leading to heavy losses for farmers who were already reeling under financial stress.

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The state government is yet to release an official assessment of crop damage, but early estimates suggest the economic impact could be severe across the flood-hit districts.

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