Opinion Punjab needs immediate relief and rehabilitation. But floods also pose a bigger challenge

Punjab is facing one of its worst floods in decades, with over three lakh acres under water, 29 lives lost, dams flowing above the danger mark, and rains showing no signs of abating. Until late August, the state was basking in a bountiful monsoon, buoyed by the promise of a rich paddy harvest. Then, almost overnight, came the deluge. The border belt of Majha, adjoining Pakistan, has been the worst hit. The swollen Ravi, which flows from the Himalaya into Punjab before winding its way into Pakistan, has ravaged hundreds of villages in the border districts. Such was the ferocity of the river that two floodgates of the Madhopur barrage built in the 19th century gave way, taking one life, with 40 others barely escaping death. Sutlej, Beas and Ghaggar too are in spate; dams receiving water from Himachal Pradesh have been overflowing. Last week, the Ranjit Sagar and Pong dams breached the danger level. Now, the Bhakra dam stands perilously close to spilling over.

The question is: Could this tragedy have been averted, especially when Punjab had faced floods in 2019 and 2023 as well? The annual flood-preparedness meeting, usually held in February, was delayed to June this year. In February, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party seemed much too preoccupied with the Delhi Assembly elections; few MLAs were even in the state. June brought the Ludhiana bypolls. Much of May was spent sparring with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the Haryana government over releasing excess water to the neighbouring state. Punjab’s irrigation minister has been pointing accusing fingers at the BBMB for failing to release water earlier. Experts point to chronic inefficiencies of the floods and irrigation department.

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For now, the immediate priority is relief and rehabilitation. Civil society has stepped in, sending food and medicines. But a bigger challenge looms: Of compensation for farmers and the rebuilding of lives. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for the release of Rs 60,000 crore, calling it “Punjab’s funds withheld by the Centre” in this hour of crisis. Silence from the top brass in Delhi has only deepened resentments of those who point out that there hasn’t been a message of solidarity from the highest echelons. A silver lining is villagers sending aid and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini promising support from neighbouring Haryana. It is high time the Union government, too, reaches out. Punjab’s farmers, the backbone of the nation’s food security, deserve more than token sympathy when fields are under water and futures are on the verge of being washed away.