When rivers rebel: Unplanned development and Punjab’s flood woes

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* 

For the past several days, Punjab has been facing a severe flood crisis. Relentless downpours in the hilly states have led to an overflow in the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, triggering catastrophic flooding in eight districts—Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, and Ferozepur. The sudden surge in the Ghaggar River has also placed Mohali, Patiala, and Sangrur districts on high alert. More than 1,018 villages and 300 government schools are reeling under the impact, and 24 lives have already been lost. In response, the Punjab government has declared a state of emergency and announced holidays in all schools until August 30.

In Pathankot and Gurdaspur, the situation has worsened to the extent that dozens of people have had to be airlifted to safety. Nearly half a dozen permanent and temporary embankments on the Ravi and Beas rivers have collapsed under the pressure of surging water. As conditions deteriorate, residents themselves have begun abandoning their homes and shifting to safer locations. According to the Punjab Agriculture Department, crops spread over 2.9 lakh acres in 16 districts have been damaged. The danger is far from over, since large volumes of water continue to be released from dams. On August 28 alone, 95,000 cusecs, 74,000 cusecs, and 50,000 cusecs of water were released from the Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, respectively, submerging villages, towns, and schools downstream.

Punjab is the land of rivers, and floods in riverine regions are not unusual. What is tragic, however, is that the current floods, like those of 2023, are not entirely natural disasters but the consequence of human interference with nature. Two years ago, 1,400 villages across 18 districts were inundated, not primarily because of rainfall in Punjab but due to heavy downpours in Himachal Pradesh and the excessive release of dam water. The floods Punjab faces today are, therefore, as much man-made tragedies as they are natural calamities.

A major factor behind this recurring crisis is unplanned economic growth in both Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Reckless deforestation, construction of large dams, encroachments on riverbeds and seasonal rivulets, destruction of ponds and other water bodies, and poor maintenance of water resources have all compounded the problem. These developments highlight the urgent need for sustainable planning and ecological balance.

The dams constructed on Punjab’s rivers illustrate the problem. Before partition, Punjab had five rivers; now only two and a half—the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—flow through the state. The Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams were built on these rivers to generate hydroelectric power and store water for agriculture, drinking, and industry. During the monsoon, however, when inflows exceed storage capacity, dam authorities release huge quantities of water to protect the structures. This sudden discharge floods the plains. The Bhakra Dam, one of the tallest in the world, stores so much water that for most of the year the Sutlej runs nearly dry. People have encroached upon its bed for farming and housing. When the floodgates are opened, these settlements are swept away, blocking the river’s natural course and amplifying the destruction in adjoining villages and towns.

The crisis is worsened by poor maintenance of drains, seasonal rivulets, and embankments meant to channel excess rainwater. Several embankments on the Ravi and Beas collapsed this year, including the Dhussi embankment and others near Sultanpur Lodhi and Narot Jaimal Singh. When floodgates are suddenly opened, weak embankments cannot withstand the rush of water. Silt deposition in seasonal streams also reduces their capacity to carry rainwater. A 2020 report by the state’s Mines and Geology Department found that the failure to desilt rivers and drains was a major factor behind the 2019 floods.

Construction in flood-prone areas has further aggravated the problem. Large sections of Patiala’s Urban Estate, for example, have been built on choe (seasonal rivulet) land sanctioned by the state’s own Urban Planning and Development Authority. If official agencies themselves permit construction on water channels, how can individuals be expected to act differently?

The widespread cultivation of paddy has also played a role. Unlike cotton and maize, which suit Punjab’s agro-climatic conditions and absorb excess rainwater, paddy requires continuous standing water. Its puddled soil prevents natural absorption of rainfall, worsening waterlogging during heavy showers.

Our ancestors understood the geography of the land better. They built houses on higher ground and allowed excess rainwater to collect naturally in ponds and low-lying areas, which reduced the risk of flooding. Today, most ponds and depressions have been filled up for construction, leaving rainwater with no natural outlets.

According to a 2023 report by the Cross Dependency Initiative, Punjab is among the top 50 regions globally where climate change will inflict maximum damage on human-made infrastructure. Keeping this in mind, both state and central governments must prepare more seriously for disasters. Construction and land use in river floodplains, seasonal drains, and rivulets must be banned outright. Regular desilting and maintenance of rivers, streams, and ponds should be ensured, and wherever possible, filled-up ponds must be revived. In urban and rural areas where water accumulates, recharge wells should be built to allow rainwater to seep underground. Rainwater harvesting must be made mandatory before granting building permissions. The central government, meanwhile, should provide remunerative support prices for crops such as cotton and maize to discourage the over-cultivation of paddy.

Punjab’s recurring floods are a reminder that nature cannot be endlessly manipulated without consequences. Unless governments take timely corrective measures and people abandon reckless encroachments and practices, floods will continue to devastate lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure year after year.

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*Former Professor, Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala