Why Punjab needs to do more to maintain its dhussi bandhs

Punjab is currently witnessing one of the worst floods in recent memory. According to the Irrigation Department, Gurdaspur there have been nearly 50 bandh breaches in Gurdaspur and Amritsar alone this monsoon. The breaches have caused widespread destruction in both districts, where more than 500 villages, along with some small towns, were inundated.

But what are dhussi bandhs?

According to the drainage wing of the Water Resources Department, dhussi bandhs were constructed in different stages between the 1950s and 1960s. These embankments are mostly kutcha (earthen) in nature, with metalled or unmetalled roads on top at several stretches that villagers use for commuting.

They are built on both banks of rivers and rivulets, depending on the contours of the land and where the river is likely to flood. In some areas, these bandhs rise 10-15 feet above river’s normal level, while in others they are only 5-6 feet high. The width at the top is usually 10-15 feet.

Punjab has around 900 km of dhussi bandhs, including embankments along major rivers, tributaries, and seasonal choes and streams. According to the Water Resources Department, Sutlej has bandhs of around 226 km in length, Ravi 164 km, Beas 104 km, and Ghaggar around 100 km, with some 300 km of bandhs along tributaries, choes, and creeks.

Why do dhussi bandhs matter?

Before the construction of these bandhs, rivers flowed unchecked and often flooded nearby fields and homes during the monsoon. Since the 1950s-60s, when these bandhs were first constructed, these embankments have acted as protective barriers, reducing the direct impact of overflowing rivers and allowing rivers to carry more water during heavy rains.

Punjab has witnessed more than a half dozen major floods — in 1978, 1988, 1993, 2008, 2019, 2023 and now 2025 — mainly due to breaches in these bandhs. This year alone, 70-80 breaches have been reported (this is a conservative estimate; many areas with bandhs remain inaccessible due to the flooding).

During river surges, many families shift to the embankments, as they see these as the safest ground to escape the deluge.

What are the current challenges facing dhussi bandhs?

The system today suffers from multiple vulnerabilities. Weak, poorly built embankments frequently collapse under pressure.

Then there is illegal mining, as pointed out by Chauhan. Sand and gravel extraction along river beds has progressively eroded the base of embankments, loosening soil and weakening structures. Experts warn that unchecked mining close to rivers reduces makes bandhs prone to caving in during high water flow.

There are also problems of inadequate coverage: several stretches of the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar still lack embankments. Moreover, permanent human settlement on bandhs makes routine maintenance difficult.

Experts say that to minimise flood risk, embankments must be raised to at least 15-20 feet above the riverbed, their foundations widened, and weak points reinforced. Smaller choes, nadies, and khads also need such bandhs.

Officials say that when water simply overtops a bandh, damage is limited. But when a bandh breaches, it causes sudden and uncontrolled flooding, wreaking havoc on villages, crops, and infrastructure. This makes plugging weak points and regulating river bed mining especially important.

“It will not cost Punjab much as compared to the huge losses the state faces in every flood, every second or third year,” said a senior officer in the Punjab Drainage Department.

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