• Incessant Rains, Lack of river/canal desilting, choked drains, inadequate strengthening of embankments. Resident Punjabi Farmers (mostly Sikh) must decide if they want free power or protection from Natural Calamities. It has a rejoinder to Shekhar Gupta’s column. Punjab needs dynamic state leadership.

For years’ agriculturists warning the Punjab government and farmers that if ground water exploitation continues at current rates, Punjab would turn into a desert in 25 years. Hope these floods will recharge the groundwater levels.

At the outset, note that rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Beas pass through Punjab. The seasonal river Ghaggar, cuts across the state. Of the 3 dams that affect Punjab, two in Himachal (Sutlej & Beas) are managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and one, Maharaja Ranjit Sagar Dam by Punjab. The last dam, on river Ravi, is at the border of J&K and Punjab. It is operated by the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd and the state’s Irrigation Department. 4  Resident Punjabis who complain of Punjab water flowing to other states must know that Bhakra Nangal Dam was a joint-venture between Punjab and Rajasthan. Read 8

“For the past fortnight, floods have led to massive damage of crops and houses in nearly 518 villages in seven districts of the state — Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Fazilka.” Aug 31 report 2 As per a 7/9/25 report, the state government has declared all 23 districts to be flood-hit.

Courtesy and copyright Indian Express.

Last Saturday i.e. September 6, 2025 respected Shekhar Gupta wrote an article in the Business Standard If PM Modi can plan Bihar tour, why not visit flood-hit Punjab?  Bye-line ‘Punjab reels from floods as political fault lines deepen- Sikh leadership rifts, BJP's Punjab strategy, and separatist propaganda fuel alienation

Key excerpts taken from same article published in ThePrint, “If the Prime Minister is like the father, elder brother, or the head of the family of all Indians, why is he not here? Are we Punjabis (especially the Sikhs) not members of the family?

In the big picture, this is already fuelling alienation, simmering since the movement against the three farm laws. For the Sikh community, this confirms its chronic suspicion of Dilli.

The only time they’ve come to share power is as junior partners with the Shiromani Akali Dal. It was a move that Atal Bihari Vajpayee made in the 1990s. This BJP leadership chose to break that compact and go it alone in Punjab.

There is a plethora of new YouTube channels and social-media handles running really subtle propaganda, broadly suggesting that the Muslims and Sikhs, as fellow monotheists and Punjabis, have no real problems between them. The trouble is caused by the Hindus and, therefore, the Sikhs need to think “differently”.”

In September 2023 Mr Gupta wrote ‘Alienation of Sikhs in Punjab’. My rejoinder can be read Here  One would expect a journalist of Mr Gupta’s stature to present a balanced view as the Tribune Chandigarh is doing! Anyway PM Modi has planned a helicopter survey on September 9.

A state that budgeted Rs 15, 845 crores in 2022-23 for free power will have fewer resources!

Bridge over river Ravi t Basholi in UT of J&K. 2014.

This article shares insights on cause of floods in Punjab. Read on.

1. I spoke to a farmer in Punjab’s border district on likely causes of floods. They are Nature (incessant rainfall), Dhussi Bandhs not repaired/made stronger, Barsati Nale in villages not cleaned regularly-get choked with garbage and two gates of Madhopur Barrage Gate on Ravi that broke were probably not maintained regularly or checked for functionality.

Another important point made was many blame Dam management for releasing water.  What we do not realize is the catch 22 dam authorities find themselves in. If water released and does not rain thereafter, people would blame them for releasing water in case there is a shortage later. If released, blamed.

2. Seema B and Ravi K wrote in the Tribune, “Years of silt build-up, uncontrolled construction and development on riverbanks and floodplains and the neglect of drainage channels have turned natural waterways into narrow paths.”

The authors suggest, “Better cooperation between Punjab, Himachal and J&K is imperative to ensure synchronised water management.”

So true, water does not recognize state boundaries. If only this AAP government built good relations with Himachal and J&K!

They also wrote, “The state's outdated and poorly maintained drainage system has contributed to the catastrophe.”

Is the Central government or the BJP responsible for any of this?

As being responsible for the management of B,BMB the Centre would have initiated de-silting of the Govind Sagar which feeds Bhakra Dam. This would increase the carrying capacity of GS. The Centre & States need to review dam management protocols. 1

3. De-silting of Canals and Construction of a local drainage system

Is the Central government or the BJP supposed to do this?

4. Deepkamal K wrote in the Tribune, “There is no silting of river-beds since 1960 and capacity of rivers to hold waters has fallen as a result.”

She added, “The 900-km Dhussi bundh (earthen embankments) was built in 1958-59 along the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi to contain the rivers, control their course & prevent flooding.”

Successive Congress/Akali-Dal/AAP governments should be asked why not done.

“Kahan Singh Pannu, former secretary, Water Resources Department, Punjab, pegs the annual cost of maintenance of rivers at Rs 3,000 crore.” 2

All that farmers want and successive state governments have given is FREE POWER. Choose between Freebies and Desilting of Rivers.

In Ferozepur, there are two problems. Poorly maintained temporary embankments. Plus here waters flows from the Sutlej-Beas combine into Pakistan. If our neighbor shuts the flood gates at Sulemnaki headworks, it can add to the problems due to back pressure of the water.

Here the Centre can help. Here is what I wrote in April 2025.

To reduce or stop water from flowing from Ferozepur into Pakistan the water from Harike can be directed towards India. Three ways. One, desilting and repair (includes lining to reduce seepage) of existing Punjab canals increases their carrying capacity. Two, increasing the carrying capacity of canals that take water to Rajasthan. Three, build new canals to take water to Punjab. This should be a Central Government funded project implemented in mission mode.  3

5. Divya G wrote, “Besides overflowing rivers floods are also caused human factors — poor management and lack of cleanliness of drains, canals and choe, choked natural waterways, lack of green cover, illegal mining, and deforestation, illegal and mindless constructions in floodplains and riverbanks— have maximised the destruction brought in by floods.” 5  Indian Express

6. “A study “Punjab Floods: Some Lessons Learnt for Future Management” by Sucha Singh, assistant professor, geography, Panjab University, Chandigarh conducted following the 2013 floods says, The construction, strengthening and maintenance of embankments on Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and on canal drains were not carried out properly due to some financial constraints and less political support from the concerned ministers and officials…” 5 Indian Express

Surely climate changes and deforestation etc in Himachal Pradesh causes incessant rainfall in a short span BUT  Look Within, suspicion of Dilli worked during Mughal and Congress rule. Today!

Govind Sagar view from Naina Devi Mandir, Himachal. Collects Sutlej water.

Now responding to points made by Shekhar Gupta – 

1. State floods partially due to inaction by State government as stated above.

2. Floods affects Sikhs most, because thanks to the Punjab Land Alienation Act 1900, maximum agricultural land is owned by Sikhs who are Jaats.

3. There is nothing Sikhi about the floods or the reason for inaction by the Centre. Punjab has been headed by Jaat Sikhs ever since the state was formed in 1966. Why did successive Sikh CM’s not do their job? 

4. The Farm Laws protest was a political movement as the late Sunil Jain, editor of Financial Express, pointed out in this article

5. The BJP was a junior partner to the Akali Dal and had little say in running the government. It was the Akali Dal who broke the BJP-Akali alliance period.

6. Sikh-Muslim unity is a recent political phenomena that does not exist in Pakistan and Afghanistan. If it did those Sikhs would not take refuge in India. Read Is Modern Day Sikhism a colonial construct

The problem in Punjab is Mixing of Religion and Politics and a section of Sikhs trying to break any association with Sanatan Dharam. The more they run away the more they realize how closely the two are intertwined. Read History of Sikhs

Read  5 things the BJP did for the Sikhs since 2014

References and Also read

1. Floods expose cracks in Punjab’s governance – Tribune 

2. Why Punjab cannot escape blame for floods – Tribune 

3. Decoding Suspension of Indus Water Treaty  - eSamskriti

4. Why Punjab keeps flooding -  Express

5. How man-made activities worsened natural calamities over the years-Punjab

6. Decoding scrapping of farm laws

7. Is Punjab Land of 5 rivers

8. Why was Bhakra Nangal Dam Made