These days, Punjab is in the grip of floods. In more than 1,400 villages in 19 districts of Punjab, water from Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar is causing heavy damage to crops, houses, people, and other belongings. The state government has evacuated more than 25,000 people to safer places to avoid the flood. So far, 38 people have died and three are still missing in the state, around 260 houses have been completely destroyed and hundreds of houses have been severely damaged, relief camps have been set up in 168 places; and medical camps have been set up in 243 places.
The state government says that due to heavy rains, Punjab has come under the brunt of floods, while the India Meteorological Department says it is due to climate change. Flooding in Punjab is neither a new nor a unique phenomenon. Punjab is a land of rivers, and in the region where the rivers flow, floods are a common phenomenon during the rainy season. At present, the reasons for flooding in 19 districts of Punjab are neither the rivers flowing here nor the heavy rain due to climate change.
All the civilizations of the world thrive on the banks of the rivers; if the water flowing in the rivers was so deadly, then all the civilizations of the world would not have flourished on the banks of the rivers.
Although heavy rain is considered a natural calamity, Punjab has not yet received enough rain to be hit by heavy floods. These floods in Punjab are not a natural phenomenon or a natural disaster; they are a man-made tragedy. The main reasons for floods in the state are unplanned development, including large dams on the rivers, construction in the catchment areas of rivers, streams, seasonal streams, and chow areas, and neglect of water resource maintenance.
These days, two and a half rivers pass through Punjab: the Sutlej, the Beas, and some parts of the Ravi. Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams are built on the three rivers, respectively. Most of the water from the rivers is usually collected in these dams, which are first used to generate hydroelectric power and later released into the canals for irrigation of crops, drinking water, and various other needs in industrial units. The dam authorities collect water from the rivers according to the capacity of the dams and release the remaining water into the rivers.
Negligence towards the maintenance of rivers, seasonal streams, and drains has become a major reason for the recent floods. More than 100 villages in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur districts were inundated due to excess water in the Sutlej River and breaches in the Dhusshi bandhs (earthen embankments).
The urban areas of Patiala, on the embankments of Ghaggar and Badi Nadi, were inundated for three days, with water from both rivers flowing above the danger mark. There were 100 breaches in the Ghaggar catchment area, of which only 12 have been filled so far. Due to the negligence of the state government, dams, drains, rivers, and seasonal rivers are not repaired regularly due to the opening of the floodgates of the dams. When a lot of water suddenly enters them, their weak banks are broken and the water takes the form of a flood.
Unplanned development starts at Bhakra Dam. The Sutlej river is the longest river among the five rivers of undivided Punjab, but much of its water is collected in the Bhakra Dam, due to which the river flows only with insignificant water for most of the year. People have occupied the river's catchment areas and started farming, and at some places people have also built houses, huts, etc.
When the water storage capacity of the dam exceeds its capacity during rainy days, the dam authorities open the floodgates of the dam, causing rapid inundation of the river basin, resulting in flooding of crops, houses, and other structures in in the river basin. Encroachments on the catchment areas also obstruct the flow of river water, causing the water level in the river to rise further. The water in the river should be 20 percent of its total capacity on normal days and 30 percent during the rainy season. Due to the construction of the Bhakhra dam on the Satluj river, the river has reached the brink of extinction.
More than 1,400 villages in Punjab have been affected by floods, and at many places, villages have been evacuated and people have been sent to relief camps and safe places. Our elders were very wise, they built houses on high places. At the time of rain, the water would automatically flow from the higher places and reach the lower places, which would take the form of ponds. People have built houses in ponds, and other low-lying places by filling them, reducing the size of the pond. Villages have also been flooded by the encroachment of ponds and low-lying areas, the breaching of river embankments, and drains.
Another major cause of flooding is the paddy crop imposed on Punjab through the Minimum Support Price policy and its assured procurement. Paddy crops require pond irrigation, while Punjab's agro-climatically suitable crops (maize, cotton, and some others) do not require much water. The planting of paddy based on pond irrigation turns the soil into a hard pan, which restricts the recharging of groundwater.
Due to the excessive accumulation of silt, sand, and stones in the floodplains of rivers, and streams, their capacity to carry water also decreases. According to a 2020 report by the Punjab Government's Mines and Geology Department, the abundance of silt, sand, and stones in rivers was also a reason for the 2019 floods in Punjab.
The water of Badi Nadi and Ghaggar (a seasonal stream) has caused heavy damage in Urban Estate Phase-II, Hira Bagh, Tegh Bagh, Mathura Colony, Gobind Nagar, and other places in Patiala city, and in some places the water rose up to 2½ to 6 feet in about 10,000 houses. Sadly, all phases of the urban estate are built in the chow area, which falls under the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority. Now the question arises: if the planning and development authority of Punjab plans to build houses in the chow area, then it is difficult to say anything about the planning for the common people.
Constructions on the catchment areas of rivers, seasonal rivers, and their tributaries also raise the water level during the rainy season. Due to years of lack of cleaning of rivers, seasonal rivers, and their tributaries, their capacity to carry water has reduced as a result of the accumulation of sand, silt, stones, and various types of vegetation growing in them.
According to the Cross Dependency Initiative report, which was released on February 20, 2023, Punjab is among the top 50 states or regions in the world where climate change is likely to cause the most damage to human-made infrastructure. According to this report, nine states in India are included in the danger zone.
The Central and State Governments should make advance arrangements to deal with natural calamities, keeping in mind such international and national reports. The Punjab Government should pay special attention to the regular cleaning and maintenance of the rivers, streams, and drains and completely ban any construction and farming in the floodplains. If possible, old ponds should be revived. Recharging wells should be constructed at those places where excess water accumulates after rainfall in cities and villages so that the rainwater can be drained into these wells before it takes the form of a flood.
Before any kind of construction (house or building), there should be provision for rainwater harvesting. The Central Government should ensure procurement of agricultural commodities (maize, cotton, and others.) suitable to Punjab's agro-climatic conditions in place of paddy crops by announcing remunerative Minimum Support Prices for these commodities.
Dr. Gurinder Kaur is a former professor at the Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala.
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