Chandigarh: The floods in Punjab – the second in the last three years and to many, the most destructive since 1988 – took place after torrential rainfall in the plains and Himachal led to the swelling of dams and rivers.

As per the latest government data, floods have so far claimed 46 lives and affected over four lakh people across the state.

Faced with such losses, many have questioned the role and functioning of dams. Today, September 8, a Ludhiana-based environmental group, the Public Action Committee, released month-long water discharge data from three major dams – Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar.

These dams directly influence water flow in the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers which originate from Himachal and pass through Punjab.

The Public Action Committee has alleged that while heavy rains in the catchment of these rivers resulted in the swelling of these reservoirs beyond capacity, dam authorities did not release water gradually. The process of a sudden discharge, combined with Punjab’s own torrential rainfall, culminated in the disaster – one that, PAC members said, could have been mitigated with timely action.

The PAC also alleged that advance warnings were missed when releasing water from the dams. Water discharge data, they also alleged, showed that rainfall prediction issued by the Indian Meteorological Department as early as June was paid not much heed to.

Economist R.S. Ghuman told The Wire that better management of water discharge from these dams could have mitigated the impact of the Punjab floods, which he said was largely caused by torrential rainfall in the region.

What the PAC says

Flooding in Punjab began on August 25. Using this as a reference point, data from the Bhakra dam on the Sutlej river, as quoted in PAC report, shows that between August 1 and 24, the per-day average inflow was 57,430 cusec, while the average outflow was 27,100 cusec.

Over the next 11 days, from August 25 to September 4, continuous rainfall in the catchment raised the average inflow by 30% to 73,400 cusec.

In contrast, the average outflow nearly doubled to 53,000 cusec, peaking at 73,000 cusecs on September 4.

The situation was even more critical at Pong Dam on the Beas river where water inflow was more aggressive, the PAC finds. Between August 1 and 24, the average per day inflow was 77,000 cusec, against an outflow of 42,500 cusecs.

From August 25 to September 4, the average inflow surged by 57% to 1,21,600 cusecs, while the average outflow rose 107% to around 87,500 cusecs, peaking at 1.09 lakh cusec on September 1.

Both these dams are managed by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in which Punjab is a member states along with Himachal, Haryana and Rajasthan.

'Unprecedented' versus 'mismanagement'

Speaking to the media on September 6, the BBMB chairman Manoj Tripathi, as quoted by the Indian Express, stated that the board was forced to release excess water downstream due to unprecedented rainfall in the Beas and Sutlej catchments. “This year, we saw the historically highest-ever inflow in the Beas River,” he said.

Between July 1 and September 5, the inflow into Beas reached 11.70 billion cubic metres or BCM, compared with 9.52 BCM in 2023, 7.94 BCM in 1988, and 5 BCM in 2019. “Never before has the Beas seen such flow,” he added.

Environmental activist and PAC convener Jaskirat Singh told The Wire that water discharge data from Bhakra and Pong Dams shows the floods could have been mitigated if water had been released gradually.

“All weather reports predicted above-normal rainfall. Yet BBMB waited for both dams to reach maximum capacity before surging the outflow,” he said.

According to Singh, a similar situation occurred in 2023, when Punjab experienced floods, though not on the scale seen in 2025.

He also held the Punjab government responsible for failing to coordinate the inflow and outflow of dam waters with BBMB despite being a member state and a part of the decision making process at the board.

Singh said the situation was no different with the Ranjit Sagar Dam, which is directly under the state government’s control. The per day average inflow of Ranjit Sagar dam between August 1 and August 24 was 38,700 cusec against average outflow of 11,273 cusec, he said. Over 11 days between August 25 to September 4, it is not just the inflow that surged to 71,960 cusec, but the average outflow surged to 62,800 cusec, he added.

The Wire reached out to BBMB spokesperson Satnam Singh for a comment on the allegations of dam mismanagement. He said that the board chairman had already clarified the board’s position in a recent press conference.

Other factors

Another environmental activist, Kapil Arora, told The Wire that the Punjab government is also responsible for other factors worsening the disaster. “While erratic rainfall cannot be controlled, illegal mining along rivers, encroachments over riverbeds and natural water bodies, and failure to strengthen bunds after the 2023 floods have all contributed to the crisis,” he said. According to him, desilting of rivers and dams is another issue which was not taken on on priority.

He added that apart from human and economic losses, the floods have caused severe environmental damage, affecting biodiversity, wildlife, natural habitats, and tree cover.

“Recurring floods in Punjab are not just a natural calamity – they are a man-made disaster too,” Arora said. He added that because climate change is here to stay, it is important for agencies to change their approach and take flood prevention measures seriously.

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