WHEN THE MOUNTAINS BREAK, THE PLAINS MUST BE READY

A Cautionary Call for a Disaster-Resilient Punjab

The floods, cloudbursts, landslides and debris flows witnessed across the Himalayan region carry a clear warning for Punjab.

Punjab lies downstream of a young and fragile Himalayan system. Extreme rainfall, landslides, rapid snowmelt and other events can send sudden flows of water, sediment, boulders and debris towards the plains.

We cannot prevent every natural hazard—but we can prevent hazards from becoming avoidable disasters.

WHAT PUNJAB MUST DO

• Protect natural drains, choes and waterways from encroachment and obstruction.
• Keep rivers, canals and drainage channels clear before every monsoon.
• Protect floodplains, wetlands and natural depressions that provide essential space for floodwater.
• Map old river courses and vulnerable areas before allowing major construction.
• Audit bridges, culverts, embankments and critical infrastructure for flood resilience.
• Strengthen early-warning systems from upstream authorities to every village and urban ward.
• Create trained local disaster-response teams with evacuation routes, shelters and emergency contacts.
• Pre-position rescue equipment, machinery, medical supplies and emergency resources.
• Conduct regular mock drills involving communities, schools, hospitals and industries.
• Prepare for cascading disasters such as flood + bridge failure, flood + power failure or flood + water contamination.

THE NEW APPROACH

Punjab must move from simply responding after a disaster to:

Anticipate → Prevent → Prepare → Warn → Mobilise → Protect → Respond → Recover → Learn → Improve

Every major flood should result in an After-Action Review so that failures become lessons before the next disaster.

A MESSAGE FOR PUNJAB

A protected river is disaster infrastructure.
A functioning drain is disaster infrastructure.
A preserved wetland is disaster infrastructure.
A healthy floodplain is disaster infrastructure.
A trained community is disaster infrastructure.

The time to prepare is before the water arrives.

Be aware—not afraid.
Be prepared—not panicked.
Be organised—not helpless.

Let the disasters witnessed elsewhere become a warning for Punjab—and let that warning become preparedness, ecological protection and action.

Protect Fragile Ecosystems.
Respect the Natural Flow of Water.
Keep Floodplains Alive.
Prepare Every District, Village and Ward.

Preparedness is not pessimism. Preparedness is responsibility.

Col CM Lakhanpal
Member, Public Action Committee (PAC)
Mattewara Jungles, River Satluj & Buddha Darya, Ludhiana
94171 38044