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Floodwaters have submerged around 1,000 villages in Punjab, India, prompting many residents to seek refuge in relief camps. Officials report at least 29 deaths and over 250,000 affected individuals last month. The chief minister described the flooding as one of the worst in decades. Although Punjab is known as India’s granary, more than 940 square kilometers (360 square miles) of farmland are under water, causing severe crop damage. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the state’s chief minister of full federal support.
Concerns are mounting over significant livestock losses, though the full impact will only be known once waters recede. The Indian military along with disaster response teams have launched extensive rescue efforts, deploying over 1,000 boats and 30 helicopters to aid stranded individuals and deliver supplies. The chief minister emphasized that saving lives—both human and animal—is the top priority.
The floodwaters do not stop at the border; rivers in Punjab flow into Pakistan, where flooding has also damaged large areas of land. Flooding and landslides are typical during the monsoon season from June to September, but climate change and poorly planned development are making such extreme weather events more frequent and intense. Rainfall in northwest India has increased by more than 33% during this period, according to the national weather agency.
In Delhi, persistent rains have swollen the Yamuna River, which crossed safety thresholds earlier this week, flooding neighborhoods and causing traffic chaos that lasts for hours. Last month, record-breaking rains also caused deadly floods in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region.
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