August 18, 2025

Punjab is battling a tough flood crisis as the mighty Beas and Sutlej rivers overflow after heavy rains. Villages in Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Ferozepur, and Tarn Taran districts are under water, with farmers watching helplessly as their fields drown. They fear facing the same heavy crop losses as the devastating floods of 2023. Senior district officials have rushed to the affected spots, saying, "Comprehensive arrangements for accommodation, food, clean drinking water, medical supplies and livestock fodder have been established for displaced residents." The Pong Dam in Hoshiarpur is releasing a staggering 60,000 cusecs of water, close to its limit of 1,390 feet water level, making floods even more threatening. Authorities have already started evacuating villages in the Tanda region of Hoshiarpur. Tanda Sub-Divisional Magistrate Parampreet Singh warned that "another 15,000 cusecs of water could be released from the dam." Villages like Fatta Kulla, Rara Mand, Abdullahpur, and Talhi are being evacuated, while others remain on high alert. In Abdullahpur, Sarpanch Jaswant Singh said, "The only access is by boats. The administration has provided one boat. Some houses in the low-lying part of the village are already inundated." Farmland submerged here mostly grows paddy. Farmer Gurmeet Singh, sheltering in a gurdwara, shared glowing praise for volunteers ferrying people with motorboats. Kapurthala is no safer. Rising waters threaten important embankments. Villages like Baupur have seen entire paddy fields wiped out by the flood madness. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal inspected relief centers and promised speedy help, noting the Beas is carrying a massive flow of 1.10 lakh cusecs. Down in Fazilka, Deputy Commissioner Amarpreeet Kaur Sandhu and police officials checked safety in border villages along the Sutlej. Thanks to reduced discharge from Hussainiwala headworks, residential areas remain safe even as fields flood. Even in Amritsar’s flood-prone zones near the Ravi river, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahni assured, "All arrangements are in place to meet any emergency, with their teams stationed there round the clock and there is no need to panic." With waters surging, communities unite and authorities act fast, but mother nature’s wrath has once again gripped Punjab with a watery fist. Will the rains relent before more damage is done? Only time will tell.

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Tags: Punjab floods, Beas river, Sutlej river, Pong dam, Crop damage, Flood relief,