Punjab Floods: Relief Efforts Ramp Up as Water Recedes, But Health and Rehab Challenges Loom
In Punjab’s flood-hit villages, the waters are finally starting to pull back, bringing some hope to communities battered by one of the worst disasters in decades. As relief materials reach those affected, the real focus now shifts to long-term rehabilitation and urgent medical care to stop the spread of diseases. This year’s floods, triggered by heavy rains in the hills and sudden water releases from major dams like Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar, have devastated the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, breaching embankments and wiping out mature paddy crops across 1.91 lakh hectares.
The floods have claimed 53 lives, impacted 2,185 villages in 22 districts, and displaced over 388,000 people. Government updates show rescue teams saving 91 more lives on Wednesday, pushing the total evacuations to 23,297. Right now, 115 relief camps are running statewide, sheltering 4,533 folks. But many farmers still can’t get home because roads are destroyed, leaving them worried sick about their livestock.
Field reports paint a grim picture of rising health risks. Waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, and vector-borne ones such as malaria are spiking fast. Snakebites are on the rise too, and rotting animal carcasses—hundreds of buffaloes, hens, and more—are piling up on farms, threatening disease outbreaks and hitting farmers’ wallets hard. Take Nachattar Singh, a farmer from Ferozepur village. "I lost over 20 buffaloes and many hens to the floodwaters or starvation," he shared sadly. "Most villagers fled their homes and haven’t returned—the mud is too dangerous. And now, the carcasses are decomposing."
Non-profits are stepping up big time, teaching rural families hygiene basics: no using floodwater to wash dishes, brush teeth, or prep food. Meanwhile, a UK-based charity is teaming with doctors from Jalandhar’s Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences to deliver quick medical aid to remote areas.
Environmental hero Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, famous for reviving the sacred 160-km Kali Bein rivulet, has been boots-on-the-ground in Sultanpur Lodhi’s Mand area for nearly a month. With waters receding, he’s calling on the community—calling them ‘sangat’—to pitch in with soil, diesel, tractors, and sacks for rebuilding villages. In a recent Facebook video, he zipped around submerged paddy fields on a motorboat, but even that’s getting tricky as water levels drop.
Punjab’s river embankments, mostly earthen and built in the 1950s-60s, couldn’t hold up this time. The state has 900 km along the Sutlej (226 km), Ravi (164 km), Beas (104 km), and Ghaggar (nearly 100 km), plus 300 km of temporary ones for smaller streams. This flood shattered all past records. Seechewal, a Rajya Sabha member, has ideas to fix this: build permanent roads on the embankments, plant trees alongside, and get everyone planting at least five trees per field or tubewell. With 1.4 million tubewells in Punjab, that could mean 7 million new trees—cutting flood risks and boosting rainfall.
In Amritsar, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, the district’s first woman in the role, says medical teams and ASHA workers are now going door-to-door. They’re handing out medicines and spreading tips on clean water, mosquito protection, and personal hygiene to keep diseases at bay.
Global disaster relief groups are also in action, supplying temporary shelters, bedding, furniture, toilets, and cooking gear to the displaced. They’ve even sourced boats from Dubai to reach cut-off spots. Financial aid and rebuild programs are helping families get back on their feet.
Observers note how Punjab’s spirit is shining through. "This disaster didn’t break Punjab—Punjab is turning the tide on the floods," they say, praising the innovative response from locals and authorities alike.
As cleanup begins, the push for strong flood prevention—like better embankments and widespread tree-planting—gains urgency. Punjab’s resilient communities are ready to rebuild, but they need sustained support to avoid future heartbreak.
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