DURING the past month, relentless monsoon rains, flash floods, and landslides have inundated north India, leaving more than 1200 villages submerged in Punjab alone, which has been been declared a disaster-hit state by its government. More than 60 deaths have been reported as a result of the floods there, according to the state’s disaster-management authority. Across India and Pakistan in recent weeks, deaths from similar extreme weather have exceeded 2000.
The disaster has made its deepest impact on agriculture and rural livelihoods. Punjab, often described as India’s rice bowl, has nearly 375,000 acres of farmland under water.
Most of this land was sown with paddy, and was due for harvest within weeks. As water stagnates across the fields, agricultural experts warn that large-scale crop loss is likely to affect both local food-security and national procurement systems.
Jagdeep Singh, a farmer in the Ferozepur district, says that he planted rice on eight acres this year. “All of it is under water. The plants are dying,” he says. “Even if the water recedes, there will be no yield.” Mr Singh lost ten cattle to the floodwaters. “The cows were tied in the shed. The water came at night. I could not save them.”
Alongside crops, livestock, and stored grain have also been lost, further compounding distress in rural communities. Dairy farming, a crucial source of income in the villages of Punjab, has also taken a hit.
While farmers have borne the brunt, the flood has also disrupted urban and rural infrastructure. Roads in several districts are damaged or inaccessible. Power and telecom lines remain suspended in some areas. Cloudbursts in the Himalayan foothills upstream have triggered sudden surges of water, cutting off access to towns in Himachal Pradesh and flooding parts of Punjab downstream.
The state government has activated emergency protocols across all 23 districts. District collectors, line departments, and disaster authorities have been instructed to restore services as a priority.
According to officials from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, teams from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in severely affected areas.
RESCUE operations go on, although continuous rainfall means that challenges remain.
Churches, gurdwaras, mosques, and temples have opened their doors to displaced families. Faith-based organisations have played a significant part in providing food, clothing, and temporary shelter.
Sister Anita Thomas, who runs a Roman Catholic mission in the Patiala district, says that it has been hosting more than 50 displaced individuals. “There was no warning; people arrived in soaked clothes, carrying children and elders,” she says. “We have set up a kitchen and arranged for sleeping mats. Parishioners are helping with supplies.”
Similarly, volunteers from Khalsa Aid have been distributing cooked meals and medical kits in submerged villages. “We are working with local gurdwaras to deliver langar [communal free kitchens] to families that have not been evacuated,” one of the group’s co-ordinators says.
Relief efforts by Christian, Sikh, and Muslim aid networks have operated in parallel with the government’s response, and have filled gaps in remote areas. Many groups involved in disaster response, however, have noted a lack of co-ordination and the delays to the delivery of official aid.
In Ludhiana, a pastor with the United Church of North India says that churches have received no communication from local authorities about evacuation or co-ordination efforts. “We started helping because families began showing up,” he says. “We could do more if we knew where help was needed most.”
THE crisis in Punjab mirrors events in neighbouring Pakistan, where flooding in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces has displaced thousands.
In 2022, Pakistan suffered catastrophic floods that affected 33 million people. India has also experienced worsening monsoons. Some regions have experienced drought and others have been inundated in the same season.
Professor Sanjay Bansal, a climate-policy expert at Delhi University, says that the situation demands more than a reactive disaster response. “There has to be serious investment in floodplain zoning, wetland conservation, and resilient infrastructure,” he says. “Both India and Pakistan face similar vulnerabilities. There is a strong case for regional co-operation on disaster preparedness.”
Professor Bansal says that existing embankments and drainage systems in Punjab are not equipped to handle the volume of water released during heavy rainfall or dam discharges. At the time of reporting, water levels at both Bhakra and Pong dams were close to their danger marks. Authorities have warned that further rainfall may require emergency water release.
A spokesperson from Caritas India says that it is working with local dioceses to document the needs. “We are monitoring the situation closely. Co-ordination with state agencies is ongoing.”
There are also questions about long-term mitigation. Critics argue that flood- management remains reactive and underfunded. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has flagged delays in implementing flood forecasting and dam- safety projects in northern states.
Community leaders and aid workers have called for more inclusive planning. “We need systems where local churches, NGOs, and farmers’ groups are consulted in disaster preparedness,” Sister Anita says. “Resilience is not built in conference rooms.”
Tauseef Ahmad and Sajid Raina are Kashmir-based freelance journalists.