Fields under water: Agricultural losses from the 2025 floods in Pakistani and Indian Punjab

//

Abdul Aleem Chaudhry

In the summer of 2025, the fertile plains of Punjab, divided between Pakistan and India but united by a shared landscape and agrarian identity, turned into vast inland seas. For days, satellite images showed entire districts inundated with water.

For the millions who depend on this land for food and livelihood, the floods were not just another monsoon event; they were a catastrophe that exposed the vulnerabilities of South Asia’s breadbasket to an increasingly volatile climate. Both sides of Punjab bore the brunt: Pakistani farmers along the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi watched helplessly as their standing crops vanished overnight, while Indian villagers across 1,900 inundated villages waded through waist-deep waters, salvaging whatever they could from submerged homes. As damage assessments continue, the numbers already suggest staggering losses, millions of acres drowned, hundreds of thousands displaced, and crop cycles disrupted for the next year at least. The floods of 2025 are more than a humanitarian emergency; they are a warning about the fragility of an agricultural system that feeds over 250 million people.

Pakistani Punjab

According to provincial authorities, around 2.5 million acres of farmland (about one million hectares) have been submerged. Districts along the Sutlej bore particularly severe damage, with thousands of acres of cotton, sugarcane, and rice destroyed at critical growth stages. Officials estimate that millions were displaced during the peak of flooding, with hundreds of fatalities recorded across Punjab and neighboring provinces. Livestock, a vital economic asset for rural households, also suffered. Thousands of cattle perished in the deluge, while poultry sheds and fish farms in low-lying areas were swept away. Farmers in southern districts now face not only the loss of their standing crops but also the absence of dairy and animal traction essential for future agricultural activity.

Indian Punjab

On the eastern side of the border, Indian Punjab faced its worst floods in decades. State government reports suggest that around 400,000 acres (160,000 hectares) of crops were affected, with 1,900 villages inundated. The official death toll stands at 43 lives lost, though the economic toll is far higher. Paddy (rice) fields, already close to maturity, were submerged for days, risking fungal infections and yield collapse. Cotton belts in southern districts also reported widespread damage, and the state’s significant dairy industry saw thousands of milch animals drowning. Early relief assessments warned that without urgent support, many smallholder families could slip into long-term debt cycles.

Why was the damage so severe?

1. Record monsoon rains: Meteorological agencies in both countries recorded rainfall far above seasonal averages. In Pakistani Punjab, rivers swelled to levels not seen in decades; in India, localized cloudbursts overwhelmed drainage systems.

2. Vulnerable infrastructure: Both regions share an aging irrigation and flood management system. Embankments and canals, once the pride of colonial-era engineering, have weakened due to siltation and encroachment. When the rivers overflowed, these structures failed to protect adjoining fields.

3. Cross-border water flows: Releases from upstream dams, especially during peak monsoon, added complexity. Pakistani officials accused India of releasing water without warning, while Indian authorities cited emergency management of overflowing reservoirs. This recurring blame game underscores the absence of transparent, cooperative flood management mechanisms between the two countries.

4. Climate Change Factor: Scientists highlight a disturbing pattern: warmer air holds more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall in shorter periods. The 2025 floods fit this model, with unprecedented downpours overwhelming even well-prepared districts.

Relief efforts and gaps

Governments moved swiftly with evacuation orders, food rations, and cash compensation schemes. Pakistan announced rehabilitation packages and pledged transparent ‘girdawari’ (crop surveys) to assess losses. India deployed central and state teams, releasing disaster relief funds and promising compensation for livestock and crop loss. Yet gaps remain stark. Farmers in remote villages reported delays in aid delivery, lack of drinking water, and absence of veterinary support. NGOs and civil society groups filled some of these gaps, but the scale of devastation made comprehensive coverage difficult.

Two Punjabs, shared Pain, different responses

• Damages: Pakistani Punjab saw far larger land losses (2.5 million acres vs. 400,000 acres in India). But in terms of intensity, Indian Punjab’s impact was concentrated in a smaller geographical area, affecting nearly 1,900 villages.

• Human Cost: Pakistan’s displacement figures ran into the millions, overwhelming relief camps. India reported fewer displaced in absolute numbers (200,000–250,000) but localized impacts were devastating, with families cut off for days.

• Livestock: In both Punjabs, livestock losses were critical. In Pakistan, cattle and poultry were swept away; in India, dairy herds — the backbone of rural household economies — suffered heavily.

Government response:

o    Pakistan announced broad rehabilitation packages, promised transparent “girdawari” crop surveys, and sought international humanitarian aid. Delivery has been uneven, with widespread complaints of delays.

o    India released funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and promised crop/livestock compensation. Relief reached many affected villages, but farmers complained about bureaucratic hurdles in compensation claims.

• Long-term recovery: Both regions now face similar questions: Can flood management infrastructure be modernized? Will smallholders get timely financial relief? And can both countries cooperate on basin-wide water management despite political tensions?

Long-term consequences

• Soil degradation: Prolonged waterlogging has stripped soils of nutrients, while silt deposits could reduce yields in the upcoming wheat season.

• Export disruptions: With both Punjabs key suppliers of basmati rice, global markets may face shortages and rising prices, hurting foreign exchange earnings.

• Farmer debt crisis: Unless mitigated, smallholders may resort to selling livestock or mortgaging land, deepening rural poverty.

• Psychosocial Stress: Flood survivors face not just material losses but trauma — the memory of drowned fields and vanished homes may shape community resilience for years.

What can be done? policy lessons

1. Regional water cooperation: Establish cross-border protocols for dam releases and flood forecasting to prevent surprise downstream flooding.

2. Infrastructure revamp: Invest in modern drainage, embankment strengthening, and desilting of canals to enhance resilience.

3. Insurance and credit reform: Expand crop insurance schemes and restructure agricultural loans to protect smallholders.

4. Climate-smart agriculture: Promote flood-tolerant seed varieties, raised-bed sowing, and crop diversification to reduce dependence on vulnerable monocultures.

5. Community preparedness: Train rural communities in disaster readiness and invest in local early-warning systems that reach farmers via mobile alerts.

Beyond relief to resilience

The floods of 2025 across Pakistani and Indian Punjab are not isolated tragedies but part of a worsening cycle. Each year, farmers watch the skies with dread — will the rains bring sustenance or destruction? Relief efforts, while vital, cannot substitute for forward planning. Punjab’s fate matters far beyond its borders: it feeds millions, stabilizes regional food markets, and sustains rural economies on both sides. Unless governments, civil society, and international partners treat these floods as a wake-up call for climate adaptation and transboundary cooperation, South Asia’s breadbasket may find itself increasingly unable to feed even its own people.