Punjab Reels Under Worst Floods in Decades

Rivers breach embankments, Madhopur headwork collapses, hundreds of villages submerged across Punjab districts.

- TARUNI GANDHI

Punjab is once again battling devastating floods, drawing chilling parallels to the catastrophic deluge of 1988 and the widespread inundation of 2023. The collapse of a gate at Madhopur Headworks in Pathankot and the Ravi river swelling beyond its all-time high have plunged several districts into crisis, cutting off villages and forcing large-scale evacuations.

According to officials, nearly 250 villages have been submerged and hundreds of acres of standing crops washed away. More than 360 BSF personnel remain stranded in their camps along the border, while dozens of families have been trapped in low-lying areas. The administration has urged people to move to safer locations, warning of further rise in water levels as excess discharge continues from Pong and Bhakra dams.

On Thursday afternoon, authorities were forced to open the floodgates of the Pong Dam after the water level shot past the danger mark of 1,390 feet and reached 1,396 feet by morning. The sudden release of water compounded the situation downstream, with Beas and Ravi rivers flowing above danger levels and seasonal rivulets inundating surrounding habitations.

In Pathankot, the breach at Madhopur Headworks caused immediate flooding of surrounding areas. Former chief engineer Amarjit Singh Dullet described the collapse as a case of gross negligence. "My blood boils seeing such irresponsibility. How could the department allow this to happen?" he said, demanding accountability from the irrigation authorities.

The Ravi river touched levels never seen before, surpassing all previous flood records and breaching embankments at multiple points. Local officials said that rescue teams had been pressed into service with boats to evacuate those marooned.