Heavy monsoon showers have unleashed a flood emergency across parts of Punjab, particularly in the Ravi River catchment areas. In Gurdaspur district, floodwaters breached the Dhusi bandh at Ghaniye Ke village in Dera Baba Nanak subdivision, inundating hundreds of acres of farmland and destroying standing crops. With continuous rainfall in both the plains and adjoining hilly regions, rivers including the Ravi, Ujh, Jalaliya and Chakki along with several canals and drains in Pathankot are flowing well above their danger marks, raising fears of further devastation.
To address the crisis, the state government has set up a centralized flood control centre in Jalandhar, while teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to assist district administrations and police in relief and rescue efforts.
Continuous rain in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh has caused the Ravi, Beas, and Satluj rivers to swell, flooding villages in Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and parts of Ferozepur in Punjab.#Punjab #HimachalPradesh #Beas #Ravi #Satluj pic.twitter.com/mVOzwpCayx
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 26, 2025
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Schools Closed Across Districts
The escalating flood situation has forced authorities to shut schools in multiple districts. Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Fazilka and Ferozepur administrations have declared temporary holidays ranging from one to three days. Evacuation advisories have also been issued for villages facing imminent flood risk. In SBS Nagar, the district administration preemptively ordered schools closed due to forecasts of heavy rainfall, highlighting the widespread caution being exercised by officials to safeguard children and staff.
The closure of schools is a reminder of how natural calamities not only disrupt infrastructure and agriculture but also bring education and daily life to a standstill.
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Rescue Operations and Infrastructure Challenges
Amid the rising waters, rescue operations have become a priority. In Gurdaspur’s Diller Pur Kheda village, the Border Security Force (BSF) mounted a special mission using inflatable boats and trained water wing personnel, successfully rescuing around 60 stranded civilians. These efforts underline the crucial role of armed and paramilitary forces in disaster relief when civilian infrastructure falls short.
In Pathankot, authorities were compelled to open the gates of the Madhopur Headworks barrage to manage excess water flow, while restricting movement over the Madhopur bridge for safety reasons. Adding to the challenges, the collapse of an old bridge over the Chakki river has caused erosion near the new bridge on the Jalandhar-Pathankot-Jammu National Highway, threatening a key transport lifeline. To provide shelter for displaced residents, the Pathankot administration has established relief camps at Radha Soami Satsang Beas Centre and Gurdwara Barath Sahib.
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