Record monsoon rains have devastated Punjab, India’s agricultural heartland, with floods destroying farmlands on an unprecedented scale. In what is being called one of the worst flood disasters in decades, entire fields of paddy have turned brown and wilted, and the air is heavy with the stench of rotting crops and livestock.
The damage spans an area roughly equivalent to the size of London and New York City combined. According to India’s agriculture minister, the floods have destroyed and ruined crops, while Punjab’s chief minister described the disaster as one of the most severe in recent memory. Locals agree, with 70-year-old Balkar Singh from the village of Shehzada recalling a similar catastrophe in 1988.
The floods have been exacerbated by the impact of climate change, along with poorly planned development, which has made such events more frequent and severe. Punjab saw rainfall surge by almost 65% above the average for August, killing at least 52 people and affecting over 400,000 residents.
One of the worst-hit areas is the village of Toor, located between the Ravi River and Pakistan, where floodwaters reached up to 10 feet in a matter of minutes on August 26. The floodwaters wreaked havoc, leaving behind collapsed crops, livestock carcasses, and destroyed homes.
In response to the devastation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a relief package worth approximately \$180 million for Punjab. The package aims to help the state recover from the widespread destruction caused by the monsoon floods.
