Floods devastate thousands of acres in Kapurthala; farmers demand urgent relief

Torrential rains in the hilly regions and the subsequent release of water from a dam have triggered severe flooding in Kapurthala district, submerging thousands of acres of farmland and leaving farmers reeling from heavy crop losses. The rising water level of the Beas river has inundated vast swathes of the Bhulath sub-division, where at least a dozen villages have been severely affected.

In villages such as Mand Habibwal, Tandi, Raipur Araiyan, Daudpur, Mirzapur, Chakkoki Mand, Butala and Dhilwan, paddy fields, maize, sugarcane and vegetable crops now lie underwater. For many farmers, this is the second blow in just 10 days, as earlier, flooding had already destroyed a significant portion of their yield. The current surge in water has only compounded their losses, with residents reporting that the water level continues to rise, threatening further damage in the coming days.

Local farmers are in distress, with entire families forced to evacuate. Members of the Gujjar community, who depend on livestock for survival, are relocating their animals to safer ground, while many have erected makeshift shelters along nearby roads due to the absence of official relief camps. “We are left on our own,” said one displaced farmer, standing beside a temporary hut made of plastic sheets and wooden poles.

The scale of destruction is enormous. Farmers such as Randhir Singh have lost 35 acres of paddy, while others — including Nambardar Malkit Singh, Paramjit Singh, Ranjit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Manjeet Kaur — report crop damage on 15 acres each. Baba Hardeep Singh’s 12 acres, Nishan Singh’s 10 acres and Kultar Pavittar Singh’s 9 acres have all been swallowed by floodwaters. In Chakkoki village alone, farmers like Varinder Singh, Asif Ali, Shah Ali, Ehsan Ali and Jalaluddin have reported complete crop failure, with fields submerged under several feet of water.

Anger is growing among local leaders and residents who blame human interference with the river’s natural course for the recurring disasters. Chakkoki village sarpanch Jagtar Singh, known locally as “Happy Khadar”, accused authorities of deliberately diverting the Beas river’s flow towards the Mand area, intensifying erosion and flooding year after year. “Every monsoon, our fields and homes are sacrificed while no permanent solution is offered,” he said.

The affected farmers are now demanding immediate government intervention. Their appeals include a rapid assessment of damages, fair compensation for crop loss, and long-term infrastructure to prevent future flooding. As water continues to rise and the rains show no sign of letting up, the people of Kapurthala wait anxiously — not just for relief, but for a lasting solution.