Flood Disaster Management in India: Lessons from Uttarakashi and Punjab

DOI: 10.22161/ijeab.111.5

Abstract:
India, one of the fastest-growing economies, remains highly dependent on agriculture for livelihood and food security. However, extreme weather events in 2025 severely disrupted this sector, particularly due to floods in Uttarakashi and Punjab. In Uttarakashi, intense cloudbursts triggered flash floods and landslides, causing significant loss of life, damage to infrastructure, and destruction of agricultural land in the fragile Himalayan region. Rescue operations indicated large-scale displacement and severe geomorphological changes in affected valleys. In contrast, Punjab experienced widespread riverine flooding due to prolonged monsoon rainfall, submerging nearly 2 lakh hectares of cropland and affecting thousands of farming households. Major crops such as paddy, maize, and sugarcane suffered heavy losses, resulting in an estimated decline of nearly 15% in agricultural output and substantial economic damage. The contrasting flood characteristics highlight the differing vulnerabilities of mountainous and plain regions where flash floods in Uttarakhand caused localized but intense destruction, while prolonged inundation in Punjab led to large-scale agricultural and economic losses. The study underscores the urgent need for region-specific flood mitigation strategies, climate-resilient agricultural planning, and improved early warning systems to reduce future risks and enhance sustainability in India’s agrarian economy.

Keywords:
Disaster, Flood, Risk, Management

Article Info:
Received: 05 Dec 2025; Received in revised form: 04 Jan 2026; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025; Available online: 20 Jan 2026

Cite this Article: