PHAGWARA: As floodwaters continue to batter parts of Kapurthala and Phagwara, the crisis has laid bare deep cracks in preparedness and response, leaving thousands of residents struggling for relief while political blame games intensify.
In Phagwara, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) accused the local administration of “complete failure” in preventing the disaster and providing timely assistance.
Press secretary Gurpal Singh Pala alleged that several villages have been inundated while officials remained “in deep slumber.” He pointed out that even the tehsil office, the SDM office, the ADC office, and the MC Commissioner’s office are severely leaking, making them unsafe for staff as well as the newly posted tehsildar.
Basic services too have collapsed. The Farad Centre has remained shut for a week, leaving residents harassed and unable to access crucial documents. According to officials, the center’s computer and printer were damaged by short circuits caused by heavy rains. Although services are now being shifted online through the local Sewa Kendra, villagers complain that access remains difficult. Equally worrying, the two boats owned by Phagwara administration were found unfit for use at a time when they were most needed to evacuate people from flooded hamlets.Villagers of several villages including village Duggan, Bhakhrariana, rawalpindi, wahid and Rampur Khaliyan were seen facing tough time.
Meanwhile, in Kapurthala, the state government has intensified relief measures. Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian personally reached flood-hit villages including Mand Inderpur and Yousafpur Darewal with four truckloads of animal feed and relief material from his Sahnewal constituency. Traveling by boat, the minister assured affected families that “no stone will be left unturned” in providing relief, highlighting that food, clean water, medicines, and fodder for livestock are being supplied through relief camps. He also urged social and religious organizations to step forward generously in this hour of crisis.
Senior IAS officers Kamal Kishore Yadav and Varun Roojam reviewed the situation in Sultanpur Lodhi on Wednesday—one of the worst-hit areas—and announced deployment of two additional boats to the State Disaster Response Force. They instructed departments to prioritize rehabilitation: restoring roads, bridges, electricity, water supply, and healthcare services. The agriculture department was told to prepare for the upcoming sowing season, while animal husbandry officials were directed to implement disease-prevention measures for cattle.
Despite these assurances, criticism has mounted. Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, after visiting several villages, alleged that warnings were ignored and arrangements were “grossly inadequate.” He said families remain homeless, cattle are starving, and patients are without medicines, demanding immediate financial aid, fodder supplies, and urgent medical relief.
The sharpest attack came from BJP national leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, who directly blamed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party government for the devastation. Grewal claimed that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), acting on meteorological advice, had proposed releasing water from the Bhakra Dam as early as April to prevent flooding. The Punjab government, he alleged, opposed the move and even forcibly took control of the dam to block water release, a decision he termed “irresponsible, unlawful, and disastrous.” According to him, “The sole responsibility for this man-made disaster lies with Bhagwant Mann and his government.”
In response, AAP leaders sought to showcase relief efforts. Jarnail Nangal, Chairman of the Phagwara Improvement Trust, distributed dry fodder for stranded cattle in Wahid village, assuring residents that supplies would not fall short. On the health front, Civil Surgeon Dr. Rajiv Parashar inspected hospitals and Aam Aadmi Clinics in flood-hit areas, instructing staff to maintain emergency wards, adequate medicines, sanitation, and fogging to prevent outbreaks of vector-borne diseases.
As relief and rehabilitation gather momentum, the stark contrast between government claims and ground realities remains evident. While ministers emphasize large-scale operations and cross-departmental coordination, villagers continue to complain of unsafe government buildings, inaccessible services, shortage of boats, and inadequate medical supplies. Political narratives from ruling and opposition parties further underscore the gravity of the crisis—but for families trapped in waterlogged villages, the urgent need is not rhetoric, but sustained relief to rebuild shattered lives.