Navjot Sidhu says Punjab floods ‘man-made', blames Centre, AAP govt over ‘failure to prevent them’

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu held both the Centre and the Punjab government responsible for the widespread devastation caused by the recent floods in the state, calling it a “man-made disaster, not destiny.”

In a first statement issued on Friday, Sidhu alleged that the current crisis was entirely preventable and stemmed from chronic mismanagement of Punjab’s river systems, lack of preparedness, and systemic governance failures.

“The five rivers of Punjab, once a boon, have become a curse through sustained mismanagement,” he said, citing illegal riverbed mining, unchecked siltation, and poor dam and reservoir operations as major contributing factors.

Sidhu highlighted that rampant, unregulated sand and gravel extraction has weakened natural flood defenses. He pointed to field reports indicating that such activities have destabilised riverbeds and embankments (dhussis), increasing the risk of breaches and flooding.

The long-term build-up of silt in rivers and reservoirs has reduced their water-carrying capacity. Sidhu criticised the absence of a targeted desilting strategy, calling for science-based sediment management.

Referring to the operations of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB), Sidhu accused authorities of failing to follow standard reservoir protocols, such as pre-monsoon drawdowns and coordinated water releases, thereby exacerbating downstream flooding.

He said that both national and state flood management guidelines — including early warning systems, floodplain mapping, and real-time dam coordination — were either ignored or only partially implemented.

Sidhu raises questions for both state and central govt

Why were dam levels not lowered in advance if heavy rainfall was forecast?

Why were weak embankments—compromised by illegal mining—left unaddressed?

Why is there no long-term, funded sediment management plan for Punjab’s rivers?

“While politicians continue to feed their greed, Punjab continues to suffer,” Sidhu said.