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Dams Fail to Control Floods as Punjab Grapples with Water Mismanagement
26 Sep, 2025
Summary
- Repeated flooding in Punjab despite dams, due to negligence and greed
- Reservoirs not depleted in time, leading to sudden release of excess water
- Farmers struggle to access their rightful share of canal water
As of September 26, 2025, the state of Punjab in India, known for its abundance of water resources, has been grappling with a recurring issue of devastating floods. Despite the presence of dams built on the state's three major rivers, the region has been hit by severe flooding in 2019, 2023, and now again in 2025.
The root cause of this problem lies in human negligence, greed, and short-sightedness, according to the article. The dams, designed to control floods, generate power, and supply water for irrigation, industry, and domestic use, have failed to fulfill their primary purpose of flood control. Government records show that water flow in Punjab's rivers has been declining over the years, yet the state has been hit by floods, mainly due to the sudden release of excess water from the dams.
