Parliament Question: Flooding in Punjab

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3120 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2026 FLOODING IN PUNJAB

3120. Smt. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that half of Punjab faces floods and thousands of villages are submerged causing loss of human lives, cattle and crops every year and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is aware that at the time of scarcity, water from Punjab is diverted to other States and during the monsoon season, excess water is released into Punjab causing unprecedented floods and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government acknowledges that the absence of adequate representation of Punjab officers and reduced decision-making powers have contributed to recurring water flooding situations in the State during the last few years and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has taken note that Punjab itself suffers record inundation because there is no responsible authority from Punjab in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to regulate, anticipate or control such situations, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) 1(a) The country including Punjab experiences floods of varying degree in different years. As per the report of the Central Water Commission “Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India”, based on satellite imagery data for the period from 1986 to 2022, the total flood-affected area in Punjab has been assessed as 0.121 million hectares (Mha) and the area protected through various steps taken towards flood management by the Central/State Government has been assessed as 3.19 Mha. The data regarding loss of human lives, cattle, and crops due to floods are not maintained centrally.

(b) to (d) As informed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the release of water throughout the year is regulated by an Inter-State Technical Committee comprising stakeholders, in accordance with the water requirements, after obtaining consensus among the partner states. While determining reservoir releases, BBMB takes into consideration several key factors, including reservoir storage availability, the States' allocated shares/quotas, prevailing and forecast catchment conditions, reservoir rule curves, dam safety considerations, and any specific operational issues raised by the partner States.

BBMB regulates the distribution of waters of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers among partner States in accordance with the applicable inter-State agreements of 1959 on construction of Bhakra Nangal Project between Punjab & Rajasthan and of 1981 between the States of Punjab, Haryana & Rajasthan.

As per the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the BBMB consists of: i. a whole-time Chairman and two whole-time members to be appointed by the Central Government; ii. a representative each of Governments of the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan & Himachal Pradesh, iii. two representatives of Central Government.

2As per past precedence, one Whole Time Member, namely Member

(Power) in BBMB, is appointed from the State of Punjab. Further, the State of Punjab has been represented by the Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, Government of Punjab in the Board.

Accordingly, adequate representation of the State of Punjab exists in both the decision-making process of the Board and the Technical Committee responsible for regulating reservoir operations and water releases from the dam.

The partner States project their irrigation and domestic water requirements during the monthly meetings of the Technical Committee of the BBMB. Based on the decisions taken in these meetings, BBMB regulates water releases from the reservoirs. The Technical Committee comprises Chief Engineers of the partner States (Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan), representatives of the Central Water Commission, and Special Invitees from the Indian Meteorological Department, Agriculture Department and senior officers from BBMB, among others.

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