Punjab faced its worst flood crisis since 1988, with over 1,400 villages across 13 districts severely affected by early September 2025. Heavy monsoon rains in the upper catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, combined with surplus water releases from Pong, Ranjit Sagar, and Bhakra dams, intensified flooding along the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers. The situation worsened as multiple rivers simultaneously crossed danger marks.

Punjab recorded 443 mm rainfall against a seasonal average of 357.1 mm, representing a 24% surplus over the normal monsoon precipitation. Severely affected districts included Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Kapurthala, where large tracts of agricultural land, particularly paddy fields ready for transplanting, were submerged. Schools and colleges were closed from August 27 through September 7 as a safety precaution, affecting over 8 lakh students.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed 15 teams across affected districts for rescue and relief operations. The state government announced a relief package of ₹1,000 crore for flood-affected families, with compensation for crop damage assessed on a per-acre basis. Over 50,000 people were evacuated to relief camps set up in government schools and community centres.

The floods raised questions about dam management protocols and floodplain encroachment in Punjab, with experts calling for better coordination between upstream and downstream states in the Indus river system.