PAC blames Bhakra Beas Management Board, Punjab for ‘man-made’ floods; moves NGT

PAC members also alleged that BBMB’s premature release of water from the dams this year triggered sudden flooding in Punjab, even before reservoirs reached their maximum safe levels. “This was not a natural disaster but a human error,” said Jaskirat Singh, recalling how in 2023, the PAC had flagged BBMB’s lapses and demanded an inquiry.

However, data on dam operations was removed from the BBMB website, he claimed.

The panel also criticised the state for failing to strengthen river bunds after last year’s floods and for allowing illegal mining and encroachments on riverbeds. The panel said that these had worsened the damage to biodiversity, wildlife habitats and tree cover.

According to PAC, warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in early August 2025 made it evident that another crisis was imminent. The panel served a legal notice to BBMB, urging it to lower water levels in time.
“Our warnings were ignored, and the consequences are there for all to see,” Dr Bains said.

The members pointed out that despite lessons from the 1988 floods, when inflows touched 7.97 lakh cusecs in a single day, Full Reservoir Levels (FRL) of Bhakra and Pong dams continue to be maintained at 1,680 feet and 1,390 feet, respectively.

A Central Water Commission (CWC) report in 2014 had advised BBMB to review the FRL, but the board has stuck to the parameters set in 1990.

“The Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) guidelines require dams to be managed with a cushion to absorb extreme rainfall events. Yet, BBMB has rigidly followed outdated rule curves,” said Arora. He argued that if the new rule were applied scientifically, inflows of nearly 8 lakh cusecs could have been handled without devastating downstream floods.

PAC has now petitioned the NGT, demanding an independent audit of BBMB’s rule curve and Punjab’s flood management practices by a panel headed by a retired High Court judge and experts from the National Institute of Hydrology. The petition also seeks compensation for affected people, in line with Supreme Court directions in similar cases.

“Floods in Punjab are not just about rainfall. They are about negligence, lack of accountability and mismanagement. Unless responsibility is fixed, disasters will keep repeating,” Khaira said.