At least 1,000 villages in India’s Punjab state have been submerged by severe flooding, forcing thousands of residents into relief camps, state authorities confirmed.
The floods, described as “one of the worst disasters in decades” by Punjab’s Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, killed at least 29 people last month and affected more than 250,000 residents. Vast swathes of farmland — over 940 square kilometres — are under water, threatening India’s breadbasket with devastating crop losses.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mann warned that the full impact, including a “huge loss of livestock,” will only be clear once floodwaters recede. Modi has assured Punjab of the federal government’s full support.
Rescue operations led by the Indian army and disaster response teams have deployed more than 1,000 boats and 30 helicopters to evacuate stranded residents and deliver emergency supplies.
“The most important thing is to save the lives of people and helpless animals trapped in the water,” Mann said in a statement.
The floods have also spilled across the border into Pakistan, where large areas of farmland are inundated. Experts warn that climate change, combined with unplanned development, is intensifying the frequency and severity of South Asia’s monsoon disasters.
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According to India’s weather department, northwest India received over one-third more rainfall than average during the June–September monsoon season. In Delhi, swollen waters of the Yamuna river breached danger levels this week, flooding several areas and causing gridlock.
Last month, record-breaking rains in Jammu and Kashmir also triggered deadly floods and landslides that killed dozens.
