Causes of Flooding   

Natural 

Man-made 

• Heavy Monsoon Rains & Climate Change: Erratic, intense rainfall in catchment areas and climate change(IPCC AR6) lead to river swelling and floods. 
• Major floods occurred in 1955, 1988, 1993, 2019, and 2023. 
• Geographical Vulnerability: Punjab is drained by three perennial rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) & seasonal rivers (Ghaggar, smaller tributaries). 
• However, these rivers make the state fertile, producing ~20% of India’s wheat and 12% of its rice from just 1.5% of landmass, earning it the title "food bowl of India". 

• Dam Management Issues: Uncoordinated water releases from Bhakra, Pong, and Thein dams during heavy rains. 
• Governance Gaps: Lack of coordination b/w Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Punjab’s irrigation authorities, and disaster response agencies. 
• Unregulated Development: Illegal construction on floodplains, deforestation & unregulated development reduce natural flood buffers. 

• The major centrally controlled dams prioritize irrigation and power over flood management, leaving Punjab with limited influence.  
  • The 2022 Amendment allowing non-Punjab/Haryana officers in top BBMB posts has strained state-Centre relations. 

• Improve Centre–State coordination on dam releases; adopt the C-FLOOD system and integrate it with meteorological and hydrological data via BHUVAN platform. 

• Govts. often respond post-flood, while illegal sand mining and poor drainage worsen waterlogging. 

• Invest in dhussi bundhs (earthen embankments), prevent illegal mining (through satellite monitoring) & modernise drainage networks. 

• Erratic monsoons, extreme rainfall, and limited local preparedness challenge flood management and resilience. 

• Promote flood-resistant crops, diversify agriculture, expand flood forecasting, digital alerts & capacity building (Krishi Vigyan Kendras).